ONDCP Releases National Drug Control Strategy Report

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has released a new report that outlines the White House’s priorities for addressing drug trafficking and use. Per ONDCP, the National Drug Control Strategy is designed to achieve three interrelated goals: preventing drug use initiation, promoting treatment services that lead to long-term recovery, and reducing the availability of illicit drugs in the United States. The ONDCP’s report notes “exponential growth in the availability and use of synthetic drugs” in the U.S., which offer a favorable risk-reward structure for drug trafficking organizations: Synthetics require a lower production cost than plant-based drugs, can be internationally shipped through the mail in smaller quantities, and can be purchased on the dark web using cryptocurrencies that provide anonymity. Cocaine use in the U.S. is also on the rise, with 90% of cocaine in the U.S. market originating in Colombia. Cocaine overdose deaths in the U.S. rose 34% from 2016 to 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ONDCP defines the goals of its strategy as “complementary and mutually supporting”: Preventing drug use through education and evidence-based prevention programs and providing treatment, “often using medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combined with therapy,” will suppress the market for illicit drugs. In turn, reducing availability of such substances in the U.S. reduces the opportunity to initiate drug use. The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) said in a statement that the ONDCP report “is in line with policies already announced by the Department of Health and Human Services and does not vary greatly from the previous strategy under former President Obama.” Here is a rundown of key points in the ONCDP’s report. Prevention The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis advocates three types of preventative measures: universal interventions for broad populations, selective interventions for particular communities, and interventions those already engaged in high-risk behaviors. Among the tactics the report advocates for: Implementation of a nationwide prevention campaign through mass media Research on and implementation of evidence-based safe prescribing guidelines Expansion of prescription drug monitoring programs, as well as prevention programs and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Take-Back Day programs Addressing youth substance use through a strengthening of ONDCP’s Drug-Free Communities Program Treatment and recovery The administration endorses an expansion of the nation’s treatment capacity, increased efforts to reach those in need of treatment who are not seeking it, and the creation of greater access to treatment for those who do. Treatment and recovery initiatives and tactics outlined in the report include: Model legislation for states to allow all law enforcement personnel to carry naloxone to be dispensed via standing orders Treatment models that incorporate behavioral, psychosocial and pharmacological elements, including access to MAT, treatment of co-occurring disorders and medical conditions Removal of barriers to FDA-approved MAT, counseling, certain inpatient/residential treatment, and other modalities Increasing addiction service workforce, and treatment recovery infrastructure by promoting training and professional incentives for entering the workforce, and establishing “a greater level of standardization for care” Increasing the use of drug courts and diversion programs, as well as employment opportunities for individuals in recovery Expanding access to peer-recovery services Reducing availability The report calls responding to aggressive trafficking and distribution techniques of drug trafficking organizations “an urgent national security and law enforcement priority,” despite “considerable success” by federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to date. Non-medical use of prescription drugs, overprescribing of prescription drugs, diversion, a lack of oversight in prescribing practices, and counterfeit pills are among the critical issues contributing to the addiction epidemic. Tactics for reducing availability of illicit drugs in the U.S. covered in the report include: Targeting drug trafficking organizations by identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in their supply chains, dismantling their infrastructure, and working with foreign partners to attack criminal networks Working with international partners with priority assistance given to “partners who are aligned with U.S. interests, are showing results, and building the capacity to address these threats independent of U.S. assistance programs” Combating international online sales of illicit drugs “by degrading the implicit trust between buyer and seller” that is required for such transactions Upgrading facility infrastructure and technology in mail and express consignment environments to target, detect and intercept illicit drugs in shipments Monitoring air and maritime routes, as well as international trafficking patterns Expanding cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico to disrupt and dismantle illicit drug production infrastructure Further leveraging High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) programs Preventing the circulation, transfer and concealment of the illicit proceeds of transnational criminal organizations