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DIXON, Ky. — Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul says the federal government should take a backseat to local initiatives to combat drug trafficking and addiction problems afflicting Kentucky.

Paul toured a faith-based addiction recovery center at Dixon in Western Kentucky on Monday. His visit was a testament to the emergence of the drug epidemic as a key issue in his hard-fought race against Democrat Jack Conway.

Paul told reporters that he opposes federal earmarks for Operation UNITE, a federal initiative providing undercover narcotics and investigations and addiction treatment.

Paul said the anti-drug program should compete for federal funding in the traditional committee process, but said his preference is for local efforts to combat the problem.

The tea party-backed Paul said Kentucky would be better-equipped to combat the drug scourge if so many of its tax dollars weren't being shuttled to Washington, in hopes that some will return to the Bluegrass state.