Topics of Interest
Drug Abuse
Drug Policy Fact Sheet
White House Fact Sheet on Drug Policy
On May 10 President Bush nominated John P. Walters to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy(ONDCP). Walters started his public service at the Department of Education and served as the principal author and project manager for the Schools Without Drugs prevention and education program. He served as ONDCP Chief of Staff in the first Bush Administration, and later was confirmed by the Senate as Deputy Director.
At the same time, the President announced several new prevention and education programs his Administration will pursue to reduce drug use in the United States.
The President considers drug control a priority and announced that he is making the ONDCP Director a member of his Cabinet. ONDCP will continue to coordinate all federal anti-drug efforts, but it will also be tasked with working more effectively to support state and local efforts as well as communities and families to reduce drug abuse.
A New Approach to Drug Policy
The President has directed ONDCP to focus federal anti-drug efforts on results. The President has asked key members of his Administration to coordinate with the ONDCP. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson will lead a state-by-state review of treatment needs and capacity to assess the effectiveness of existing anti-drug efforts to ensure that resources are used effectively to fight drugs. Attorney General John Ashcroft will develop a plan to make certain the criminal justice system helps addicts recover and break the cycle of addiction and violence when they return to the community. Dr. John DiIulio will compile an inventory of existing federal anti-drug partnerships with local faith-based and community groups and work with John Walters to strengthen those efforts.
The President's Budget & Drug Policy
The President's budget reflects his commitment to preventing drug abuse, treating those already addicted, and keeping communities safe with an increase of $1.1 billion bringing the total budget for federal drug control to over $19 billion.
Highlights:
- Creates a new Parent Drug Corps to mobilize parents and families,
providing $25 million over five years.
- Doubles funding for local anti-drug coalitions over five years,
providing up to $350 million over five years, including an $11 million
increase in FY 2002, to support community-based drug prevention and
education efforts.
- Works to close the treatment gap with a five-year commitment to
increasing treatment resources by $1.6 billion, including targeted
treatment programs for teens and adolescents.
- Increases funding for the National Institute of Drug Abuse by $126
million for FY 2002, expanding research into prevention and treatment.
- Provides an additional $41.5 million for the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
- Fully funds the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign at $185
million to ensure that vital anti-drug public service advertisements
continue to reach parents and children.
- Dedicates $50 million to Drug Courts and increases State and
Federal Prison Drug Treatment and Testing programs to $114 million to
help more citizens break the vicious cycle of addiction and
incarceration.
- Supports counterdrug law enforcement with $52 million for methamphetamine lab cleanup and enforcement, $50 million to reimburse border county prosecutors, and $355 million in block grant funding to provide technology support to local law enforcement officers.
Washington, D.C.
May 10, 2001