Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Tom Riley / Jennifer de Vallance 202–395–6618
February 12, 2003

(Washington, DC)–John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today released the President's National Drug Control Strategy. The Strategy commits unprecedented resources to the treatment of drug abuse, including a new $600 million, three-year voucher plan that will expand access to substance abuse treatment, enhance consumer choice, and increase provider accountability.

The Strategy builds on last year's balanced approach focused on preventing drug use before it starts, healing America's drug users, and disrupting the market for illegal drugs. It also reports solid progress over the past year toward meeting President Bush's goals of reducing drug use by 10 percent in two years and 25 percent in five years. Recent data from the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future survey show the first significant downturn in youth drug use in nearly a decade, with reduced drug use noted among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.

Director Walters stated, "We have made important progress in reducing youth drug use. We now must accelerate and broaden that progress. Maintaining our momentum will require a sustained focus on a balanced strategy and a stronger-than-ever partnership with parents, educators, and community leaders who have the power to make the drug problem smaller in communities across America."

Included in the Strategy is a focus on using education and community action to stop drug use before it starts. Walters stated, "Drug prevention efforts are our first line of defense against illegal drug use. Programs aimed at preventing drug use are invaluable in educating young people about the dangers of drug use and reinforcing a climate of social disapproval of drug use."

In order to make America's drug problem smaller, we must also work to heal those who have already become addicted to drugs. Despite our substantial drug prevention efforts, some six million Americans meet the clinical criteria for needing drug treatment. The overwhelming majority of these users fail to recognize their need for treatment. Recognizing this problem, President Bush announced a new initiative that requests $600 million dollars over three years to provide drug treatment to individuals otherwise unable to obtain access to services. People in need of treatment will receive an evidence-based assessment of their treatment need and will be issued vouchers for appropriate services to be provided by an organization referred by the state.

Walters continued, "We know that treatment works. But we also know that there are too many Americans who, for a variety of reasons, cannot access the treatment they need. By giving people a choice, and the direct means to help connect them with effective treatment, we will be able to more directly help drug users who have recognized their problem. This program will also help treatment providers and the overall drug treatment system by bringing increased accountability into the system."

While focusing heavily on demand reduction, the Strategy recognizes the importance of eroding the economic base of the drug trade. Every step that makes the drug trade more dangerous and less profitable for drug dealers is a step toward "breaking" the international and domestic market for illegal drugs.

Walters stated, "Drug users respond to market forces because the drug trade is a market. We must make drugs scarce, expensive, and of unreliable quality. Reducing the availability of dangerous substances will keep our children healthy and complement our efforts to reduce the demand for drugs. We look forward to working with our international partners and domestic law enforcement agencies to eliminate the misery for which the illegal drug industry is responsible."

Illegal drugs exact an enormous toll on our society. Drugs take 52,000 lives annually and drain the U.S. economy of $160 billion dollars a year in economic costs to our society. Sixteen million Americans use drugs on a current basis, and 5.6 million meet the criteria for needing drug treatment. Of those, 62 percent are dependent on marijuana.