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Historical Drug Control Spending- 2012-2021



Summary/Abstract

Once again, Washington has continued to ignore the opioid psandemic and has allocated a tactically disproportinate segment of the Drug Control Budget for FY 2020 & 2021 to Supply Reduction with the majority (57%) slotted for domestic law enforcement.  Overdoses and opioid related mortality have escalated significantly and prevention funding is shrinking. 

Content

Editors Commentary: Nothing changes if nothing changes! I decided to explore the sincerity of Washington regarding the Opioid and psychostimulant epidemic and threw together a quck spreadsheet that would expose the direction this country is taking in the "drug war". Although Washington has increased its allocation for demand reduction services over the last decade, it has failed miserably in learning that supply reduction does not work. The popular rhetoric in political and law enforcement circles frequently contains the familiar saying that "we can't arrest our way out of the drug problem" however if you examine the domestic law enforcement allocation for 2020 and the requested allocation for same in 2021, one understands that it is just hyperbole. It is more of the same. More money, more suffering, more death. Globally there were more than 500,000 drug related deaths and yet the focus of the financial resources compared to COVID 19 allocated resources is almost a rounding error- less than 1%.

The COVID 19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the recovery community and fentanyl is now the standard street opioid available. To cut prevention funding as overdose rates have significantly escalated in the first half of 2020 constitutes wonton disregard for persons suffering from OUD. 

 

Historical  Drug Control Policy

FY - 2012-2021

(Budget in Millions)

 

  FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021
  Final Final Final Final Final Final Final Final Enacted Request
Demand Reduction                    
Treatment $7,848.30 $7,888.60 $9,481.80 $9,553.10 $9,845.10 $12,168.70 $14,547.90 $15,439.60 $16,061.30 $16,525.60
Prevention $1,346.20 $1,274.90 $1,316.90 $1,341.50 $1,486.40 $1,572.20 $2,263.80 $2,135.90 $2,111.40 $2,034.80
Sub Total $9,194.50 $9,163.50 $10,798.70 $10,894.60 $11,331.50 $13,740.90 $16,811.70 $17,575.50 $18,172.70 $18,560.40
                     
Supply Reduction                    
Domestic Law Enforcement 9,439.50 8,857.00 9,348.80 9,394.50 9,282.80 8,982.30 9,443.80 9,641.40 9,858.70 9,945.60
Interdiction 4,036.50 3,940.60 3,948.50 3,960.90 4,734.70 4,595.90 5,565.90 8,308.30 6,248.30 5,918.20
International 1,833.70 1,848.50 1,637.10 1,643.00 1,524.90 1,494.20 1,465.10 1,283.00 1,321.70 1,271.60
Sub Total 15,309.70 14,646.10 14,934.40 14,998.40 15,542.40 15,072.40 16,474.80 19,232.70 17,428.70 17,135.40
                     
Grand Total $24,504.20 $23,809.60 $25,733.10 $25,893.00 $26,873.90 $28,813.30 $33,286.50 $36,808.20 $35,601.40 $35,695.80
Demand Reduction Pct 37.52% 38.49% 41.96% 42.08% 42.17% 47.69% 50.51% 47.75% 51.04% 52.00%
Supply Reduction Pct 62.48% 61.51% 58.04% 57.92% 57.83% 52.31% 49.49% 52.25% 48.96% 48.00%
                     

 

ONDCP Story

Upon taking office, the Trump Administration has taken a whole-of-government approach to addressing the addiction crisis. Moreover, the sustained focus since the beginning of the Administration has contributed to some encouraging progress – the first decline in fatal drug-related overdoses in nearly three decades. Nonetheless, there is so much more to accomplish. Not only is the opioid epidemic still killing far too many Americans, it has evolved and now includes increased use of methamphetamine, cocaine, and other dangerous substances. For this reason, the Trump Administration has not only again in this budget dedicated significant resources to stopping illicit drug use, but it also supported increased flexibility in how states can use drug control funds so that they can tailor their efforts to the greatest drug threats faced in their area of the country.

Fortunately, this substantial commitment of funds has been supported, on a bipartisan basis, by the Congress. The White House, as well as Departments and agencies, will be working closely with the Congress to ensure the President’s ambitious Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 request is fully funded.

This budget proposal includes more than $7 billion in funding, an increase of more than $200
million, for opioid efforts and initiatives across the government. Almost every Department is
providing support for efforts to target every aspect of the opioid crisis, including prevention,
treatment, overdose response, recovery support, domestic law enforcement, interdiction, and
international efforts.

In addition to the focus on opioids, the Administration is increasingly focused on methamphetamine trafficking, use, and overdose, and is working to expand efforts in these areas. Unfortunately, misuse of stimulant drugs is growing following this period of heightened depressant use. Taking on the methamphetamine problem is a significant focus for the National Drug Control Strategy. In addition, the State Opioid Response Grants program has a permissible use to address the methamphetamine problem.

Overall counterdrug funding increases to $35.7 billion in the FY 2021 President’s Budget. As
highlighted in detail in this document, the proposed budget funds vital activities across the
entire scope of government, as well as urgently needed grants to states to help fund their own
efforts. States are in the midst of expanding their capacity to provide prevention and
evidence-based treatment and recovery services to all of their citizens in need, and Federal
support is an essential element of these life-saving efforts.

In addition, we are continuing to fund relentless efforts to cut off the supply of drugs entering
our country and to crack down on domestic drug trafficking, money laundering, and drug-related
violence. The expanded efforts to interdict illicit synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, trafficked
into the United States include not just historic engagement with the Chinese Government at the
highest level, but also Federal resources to expand the use of technology, personnel, canines, and intelligence tools to seize these dangerous drugs before they place our citizens at risk. The
Federal, State and local law enforcement officers in our country continue to go above and beyond
their traditional duties to protect Americans from every aspect of the drug problem. This budget provides them with the financial resources they require to do their jobs.

Immediately below are descriptions of some of the programs and activities, by Department, that
support the President’s National Drug Control Strategy. Following that information, detailed data
on overall spending is provided, with tables focusing on prevention, treatment, domestic law
enforcement, interdiction, and international efforts. Following that functional breakdown is a
summary table providing historical trends in spending. The more comprehensive FY 2021 National Drug Control Strategy: Budget and Performance Summary will be released in the months to come.

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