Administration’s 2011 Strategy Expands Balanced Approach to Drug Control
By Laura DeKoven Waxman
July 18, 2011
National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske released a 2011 National Drug Control Strategy July 11 that recommits to and builds upon the goals, objectives and activities of the Administration’s first Strategy, which was released in May 2010. The 2011 Strategy is intended to coordinate an unprecedented government-wide public health and safety approach to reduce drug use and its consequences in the U.S.
The Strategy continues to expand upon a balanced approach to drug control that emphasizes community-based drug prevention, integration of drug treatment into the mainstream health care system, innovations in the criminal justice system to break the cycle of drug use and crime, and international partnerships to disrupt transnational drug trafficking organizations. The Strategy outlines:
Strengthen Efforts to Prevent Drug Use in Our Communities
1. A National Prevention System Must Be Grounded at the Community Level
2. Prevention Efforts Must Encompass the Range of Settings in Which Young People Grow Up
3. Develop and Disseminate Information on Youth Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use
4. Criminal Justice Agencies and Prevention Organizations Must Collaborate
5. Preventing Drugged Driving Must Become a National Priority on Par with Preventing Drunk Driving
Seek Early Intervention Opportunities in Health Care
1. Catching Substance Use Disorders Early Saves Lives and Money
2. Curb Pharmaceutical Abuse: Preserve Medical Benefits of Pharmaceuticals
Integrate Treatment for Substance Use Disorders into Mainstream Health Care and Expand Support for Recovery
1. Addiction Treatment Must Be an Integrated, Accessible Part of Mainstream Health Care
2. Addicted Patients and Their Families Must Receive High-Quality Care
3. Celebrate and Support Recovery from Addiction
Break the Cycle of Drug Use, Crime, Delinquency, and Incarceration
1. Provide Communities with the Capacity to Prevent Drug-Related Crimes
2. Develop Infrastructure to Promote Alternatives to Incarceration When Appropriate
3. Use Community Corrections Programs to Monitor and Support Drug-Involved Offenders
4. Create Supportive Communities to Sustain Recovery for the Reentry Population
5. Improve Treatment for Youth Involved with the Juvenile Justice System
Disrupt Domestic Drug Trafficking and Production
1. Federal Enforcement Initiatives Must be Coordinated with State, Local, and Tribal Partners
2. United States Borders Must be Secured
3. Focus National Efforts on Specific Drug Problems
Strengthen International Partnerships
1. Collaborate with International Partners to Disrupt the Drug Trade
2. Support the Drug Control Efforts of Major Drug Source and Transit Countries
3. Attack Key Vulnerabilities of Drug-Trafficking Organizations
Improve Information Systems for Analysis, Assessment, and Local Management
1. Existing Federal Data Systems Need to Be Sustained and Enhanced
2. New Data Systems and Analytical Methods to Address Gaps Should Be Developed and Implemented
3. Measures of Drug Use and Related Problems Must be Useful at the Community Level
In addition, ONDCP is focusing on three policy priorities: (1) reducing prescription drug abuse; (2) reducing drugged driving; and (3) expanding community-based substance abuse prevention. In addition, for the first time, it is outlining specific actions designed to improve the health and safety of three special populations affected by high rates of substance use: active duty military and veterans; college students; and women and their dependent children.
The Strategy is available online at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/strategy/index.html.
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