Summary/Abstract

Preliminary 2016 Budget for Drug Control Funding Priorities issued by the ONDCP. Despite the heroin epidemic, this administration continues to allocate more financial resources to enforcement and interdiction. And the Drug War goes on.

Content

President Requests Historic Levels of Funding for Public Health Responses to Illicit Drug Use

FY2016 Budget requests more than $27 billion for demand and supply reduction programs

Washington, D.C. – Today, Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, announced drug-related requests in the Obama Administration’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget.  The President’s Budget, submitted to the U.S. Congress today, contains over $12 billion in Federal funds for reducing drug use in the United States for fiscal year 2016 through prevention and treatment programs – an increase of more than $768 million over the fiscal year 2015 enacted level.  Combined with supply reduction funding, a total of nearly $27.6 billion dollars was requested for Federal drug control programs for 2016.

“The President’s 2016 Budget calls for the largest commitment to substance use disorder treatment and prevention efforts to date,” said Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). “There are millions of Americans – including myself – who are in successful long-term recovery from a substance use disorder. This budget demonstrates the Obama Administration’s ongoing commitment to a science-based drug policy with a balanced approach to public health and public safety.”

(notice discrepancies in two separate releases)

The FY 2016 Request includes:

• $1.4 billion for prevention activities, a nearly six percent increase over the FY 2015 funding level. 
• $11.0 billion for treatment, a nearly seven percent increase over the FY 2015 funding level.

Sub Total Treatment and Prevention:  12.4 billion

• $9.7 billion for domestic law enforcement activities a nearly four percent increase over the FY 2015 funding level
• $3.9 billion for interdiction, an increase of two percent above the FY 2015 level.
• $1.6 billion for international funding, an increase of more than one percent above the FY 2015 level.

Sub Total Enforcement and Interdiction: 15.2 billion

Drug Control Funding Priorities in the FY 2016 President’s Budget

The FY 2016 President’s Budget includes $27.6 billion to support the National Drug Control Strategy, an increase of $1.2 billion (4.7%) above FY 2015 funding. The FY 2016 drug control budget includes funding increases for both supply and demand reduction efforts (see table).

The FY 2016 request includes a total of $308.9 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) including funding for operations and other ONDCP funded programs and activities such as the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program ($193.4 million) and the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program ($85.7 million). The HIDTA principally supports drug supply reduction. In FY 2016, the Administration is requesting language to remove the program cap on prevention spending and to modify the restrictions currently in place for drug treatment programs. This change will enable HIDTAs to place more emphasis on expanding prevention efforts and to support initiatives that provide access to treatment for substance use disorders as part of a diversion or other alternative sentencing or community reentry program.

Prevention

The FY 2016 Request includes $1.4 billion for prevention activities, a nearly six percent increase over the FY 2015 funding level. Prevention funding supports education and outreach programs aimed at preventing the initiation of drug use while encouraging community outreach efforts focused on getting those who have begun to use illicit drugs to cease their use. Major contributors to prevention efforts include the Department of Health and Human Services

($1.0 billion), the Department of Defense ($111.5 million), the Office of National Drug Control Policy ($101.2 million), and the Department of Education ($67.9 million). Key FY 2016 funding priorities are detailed below:

Heroin and Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention

Overdose prevention, to include identifying those at risk of overdose, the signs of overdose, and expanding the use of naloxone, are key pieces of the Administration’s strategy to address the opioid overdose epidemic.

• +$48.0 million ($68.0 million total) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand its Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States program to all 50 states, and an additional $5.6 million ($5.6 million total) for the CDC to address the rising rate of heroin-related overdose deaths by working to collect near real-time emergency department data and higher quality and timely mortality data by rapidly integrating death certificate and toxicology information. 

• +$12.0 million ($12.0 million total) for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for Grants to Prevent Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose Related Deaths, helping states to purchase naloxone, equip first responders, and support prevention education.

  Enhancing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

  Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are an important state based tool. PDMPs provide information to health care providers, so they can better understand what is being prescribed and intervene before a prescription drug abuse disorder becomes chronic.

  • $9.0 million for Department of Justice (DOJ) state grants to enhance the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies to collect and analyze controlled substance prescription data.
  • +$8.8 million for SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework to better target prescription drug abuse and misuse within each state.
  • +$5.0 million for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to enhance prescription drug monitoring.

  Prevention in Communities and Schools

  Local drug prevention requires local solutions and a focus on young people in the community.

  • Continued support for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program with $85.7 million in total funding for community-based coalitions that organize to prevent youth substance use.
  • +$15.7 million ($62.4 million total) for the Department of Education’s School Climate Transformation Grants.

  Treatment

  The FY 2016 Request includes $11.0 billion for treatment, a nearly seven percent increase over the FY 2015 funding level. Treatment funding supports early intervention, treatment, and recovery services focused on reducing drug use and its consequences. Major contributors to treatment efforts include the Department of Health and Human Services ($9.1 billion), the Department of Veterans Affairs ($708.0 million), the Department of Housing and Urban Development ($556.9 million), the Department of Justice ($263.4 million), and the Judiciary ($220.8 million). A key FY 2016 funding priority is detailed below:

  Improving America’s Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program and Expanding Medication-Assisted Treatment

  Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the standard of care for treatment of opioid use disorders, but is too often out of reach for vulnerable populations. Expanding access to MAT will help address this issue and help more individuals sustain their recovery from opioid use disorders.

  • +$26.0 million ($60.0 million total) for the Second Chance Act grant, which can be spent on substance use treatment to help reduce re-offending and violations of probation and parole.
  • +$13.1 million ($25.1 million total) for SAMHSA to expand its MAT for Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction program.
  • ·+$5.0 million ($5.0 million total) for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to provide a more robust review of evidence and evaluation regarding MAT in primary care settings.
  • ·+$1.2 million ($116.6 million total) for the Bureau of Prisons’ substance use disorder treatment, and $1 million to expand the bureau’s MAT Pilot.

  Domestic Law Enforcement, Interdiction, and International

  The FY 2016 Request includes $9.7 billion for domestic law enforcement activities a nearly four percent increase over the FY 2015 funding level. Domestic law enforcement funding continues strong support for “smart on crime” efforts that protect communities from drug-related crime and violence. Major contributors to domestic law enforcement efforts include the Department of Justice ($7.4 billion), the Judiciary ($1.1 billion), the Department of Homeland Security

  ($807.0 million), the Office of National Drug Control Policy ($176.6 million), the Department of Defense ($106.2 million), and the Department of the Treasury ($100.7 million).

  The FY 2016 Request includes $3.9 billion for interdiction, an increase of two percent above the FY 2015 level. Interdiction funding supports efforts to disrupt the flow of drugs entering the United States. Major contributors to interdiction efforts include the Department of Homeland Security ($3.4 billion) and the Department of Defense ($435.0 million).

  The FY 2016 Request includes $1.6 billion for international funding, an increase of more than one percent above the FY 2015 level. International funding supports international partners working to increase citizen security, protect the rule of law, and strengthen public health and safety. Major contributors to international efforts include the Department of State

  ($569.8 million), the Department of Defense ($537.0 million), and the Department of Justice ($475.5 million).

  Addressing Domestic and Transnational Organized Crime and Interdiction Efforts

  The U.S. must enhance domestic border security, intelligence and information sharing, and maritime interdiction capabilities to eliminate the flow of illicit drugs into the country

  • +$24.2 million ($517.6 million total) for the Department of Defense (DoD) Geographic Combatant Commanders (NORTHCOM-OCONUS, SOUTHCOM, AFRICOM, EUCOM, PACOM, and CENTCOM) that support Source and Transit Zone countries.
  • +$18.5 million for the next phase in the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter recapitalization plan, which is critical for future U.S. maritime transit zone interdiction efforts.
  • Continued support for the DoD Counter Threat Finance program with $2.8 million in total funding to support interagency investigations of drug traffickers and weapons proliferators.
  • +$1.8 million ($2.8 million total) for the DOJ International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center to provide a single venue for the law enforcement and intelligence communities to oversee operations against the most dangerous transnational organized crime groups.
  •   +$5.0 million ($5.0 million total) for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to provide a more robust review of evidence and evaluation regarding MAT in primary care settings
    
  • +$1.2 million ($116.6 million total) for the Bureau of Prisons’ substance use disorder treatment, and $1 million to expand the bureau’s MAT Pilot.
    

Domestic Law Enforcement, Interdiction, and International

The FY 2016 Request includes $9.7 billion for domestic law enforcement activities a nearly four percent increase over the FY 2015 funding level. Domestic law enforcement funding continues strong support for “smart on crime” efforts that protect communities from drug-related crime and violence. Major contributors to domestic law enforcement efforts include the Department of Justice ($7.4 billion), the Judiciary ($1.1 billion), the Department of Homeland Security

($807.0 million), the Office of National Drug Control Policy ($176.6 million), the Department of Defense ($106.2 million), and the Department of the Treasury ($100.7 million).

The FY 2016 Request includes $3.9 billion for interdiction, an increase of two percent above the FY 2015 level. Interdiction funding supports efforts to disrupt the flow of drugs entering the United States. Major contributors to interdiction efforts include the Department of Homeland Security ($3.4 billion) and the Department of Defense ($435.0 million).

The FY 2016 Request includes $1.6 billion for international funding, an increase of more than one percent above the FY 2015 level. International funding supports international partners working to increase citizen security, protect the rule of law, and strengthen public health and safety. Major contributors to international efforts include the Department of State

($569.8 million), the Department of Defense ($537.0 million), and the Department of Justice ($475.5 million).

Addressing Domestic and Transnational Organized Crime and Interdiction Efforts

The U.S. must enhance domestic border security, intelligence and information sharing, and

maritime interdiction capabilities to eliminate the flow of illicit drugs into the country.

• +$24.2 million ($517.6 million total) for the Department of Defense (DoD) Geographic Combatant Commanders (NORTHCOM-OCONUS, SOUTHCOM, AFRICOM, EUCOM, PACOM, and CENTCOM) that support Source and Transit Zone countries.
• +$18.5 million for the next phase in the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter recapitalization plan, which is critical for future U.S. maritime transit zone interdiction efforts.
• ·Continued support for the DoD Counter Threat Finance program with $2.8 million in total funding to support interagency investigations of drug traffickers and weapons proliferators.
• +$1.8 million ($2.8 million total) for the DOJ International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center to provide a single venue for the law enforcement and intelligence communities to oversee operations against the most dangerous transnational organized crime groups.