White House Drug Czar Releases National Drug Control Strategy

2/12/2003; 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM (EST)

ONDCP

Balanced Strategy Builds on Success, New Drug Treatment Initiative Highlighted

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.

Resources:
Complete Press Release
Strategy Overview (PDF)
The National Drug Control Strategy