§ 1705. Development, submission, implementation, and assessment of National Drug Control Strategy

(a) Timing, contents, and process for development and submission of National Drug Control Strategy

(1) Timing

Not later than February 1 of each year, the President shall submit to Congress a National Drug Control Strategy, which shall set forth a comprehensive plan for the year to reduce illicit drug use and the consequences of such illicit drug use in the United States by limiting the availability of, and reducing the demand for, illegal drugs.

(2) Contents

(A) In general

The National Drug Control Strategy submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(i) Comprehensive, research-based, long-range, quantifiable goals for reducing illicit drug use and the consequences of illicit drug use in the United States.

(ii) Annual quantifiable and measurable objectives and specific targets to accomplish long-term quantifiable goals that the Director determines may be achieved during each year beginning on the date on which the National Drug Control Strategy is submitted.

(iii) A 5-year projection for program and budget priorities.

(iv) A review of international, State, local, and private sector drug control activities to ensure that the United States pursues coordinated and effective drug control at all levels of government.

(v) An assessment of current illicit drug use (including inhalants and steroids) and availability, impact of illicit drug use, and treatment availability, which assessment shall include—

(I) estimates of drug prevalence and frequency of use as measured by national, State, and local surveys of illicit drug use and by other special studies of nondependent and dependent illicit drug use;

(II) illicit drug use in the workplace and the productivity lost by such use; and

(III) illicit drug use by arrestees, probationers, and parolees.

(vi) An assessment of the reduction of illicit drug availability, as measured by—

(I) the quantities of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and other drugs available for consumption in the United States;

(II) the amount of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and precursor chemicals and other drugs entering the United States;

(III) the number of illicit drug manufacturing laboratories seized and destroyed and the number of hectares of marijuana, poppy, and coca cultivated and destroyed domestically and in other countries;

(IV) the number of metric tons of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine seized and other drugs; and

(V) changes in the price and purity of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, changes in the price of ecstasy, and changes in tetrahydrocannabinol level of marijuana and other drugs.

(vii) An assessment of the reduction of the consequences of illicit drug use and availability, which shall include—

(I) the burden illicit drug users placed on hospital emergency departments in the United States, such as the quantity of illicit drug-related services provided;

(II) the annual national health care cost of illicit drug use; and

(III) the extent of illicit drug-related crime and criminal activity.

(viii) A determination of the status of drug treatment in the United States, by assessing—

(I) public and private treatment utilization; and

(II) the number of illicit drug users the Director estimates meet diagnostic criteria for treatment.

(ix) A review of the research agenda of the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center to reduce the availability and abuse of drugs.

(x) A summary of the efforts made to coordinate with private sector entities to conduct private research and development of medications to treat addiction by—

(I) screening chemicals for potential therapeutic value;

(II) developing promising compounds;

(III) conducting clinical trials;

(IV) seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for drugs to treat addiction;

(V) marketing the drug for the treatment of addiction;

(VI) urging physicians to use the drug in the treatment of addiction; and

(VII) encouraging insurance companies to reimburse the cost of the drug for the treatment of addiction.

(xi) An assessment of Federal effectiveness in achieving the National Drug Control Strategy for the previous year, including a specific evaluation of whether the objectives and targets for reducing illicit drug use for the previous year were met and reasons for the success or failure of the previous year’s Strategy.

(xii) A general review of the status of, and trends in, demand reduction activities by private sector entities and community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations, to determine their effectiveness and the extent of cooperation, coordination, and mutual support between such entities and organizations and Federal, State, local, and tribal government agencies.

(xiii) Such additional statistical data and information as the Director considers appropriate to demonstrate and assess trends relating to illicit drug use, the effects and consequences of illicit drug use (including the effects on children of substance abusers), supply reduction, demand reduction, drug-related law enforcement, and the implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy.

(xiv) A supplement reviewing the activities of each individual National Drug Control Program agency during the previous year with respect to the National Drug Control Strategy and the Director’s assessment of the progress of each National Drug Control Program agency in meeting its responsibilities under the National Drug Control Strategy.

(B) Classified information

Any contents of the National Drug Control Strategy that involve information properly classified under criteria established by an Executive order shall be presented to Congress separately from the rest of the National Drug Control Strategy.

In selecting data and information for inclusion under subparagraph (A), the Director shall ensure—

(i) the inclusion of data and information that will permit analysis of current trends against previously compiled data and information where the Director believes such analysis enhances long-term assessment of the National Drug Control Strategy; and

(ii) the inclusion of data and information to permit a standardized and uniform assessment of the effectiveness of drug treatment programs in the United States.

(3) Process for development and submission

In developing and effectively implementing the National Drug Control Strategy, the Director—

(A) shall consult with—

(i) the heads of the National Drug Control Program agencies;

(ii) Congress;

(iii) State, local, and tribal officials;

(iv) private citizens and organizations, including community and faith-based organizations with experience and expertise in demand reduction;

(v) private citizens and organizations with experience and expertise in supply reduction; and

(vi) appropriate representatives of foreign governments;

(B) in satisfying the requirements of subparagraph (A), shall ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that State, local, and tribal officials and relevant private organizations commit to support and take steps to achieve the goals and objectives of the National Drug Control Strategy;

(C) with the concurrence of the Attorney General, may require the El Paso Intelligence Center to undertake specific tasks or projects to support or implement the National Drug Control Strategy; and

(D) with the concurrence of the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General, may request that the National Drug Intelligence Center undertake specific tasks or projects to support or implement the National Drug Control Strategy.

(b) Submission of revised strategy

The President may submit to Congress a revised National Drug Control Strategy that meets the requirements of this section—

(1) at any time, upon a determination of the President, in consultation with the Director, that the National Drug Control Strategy in effect is not sufficiently effective; or

(2) if a new President or Director takes office.

Not later than February 1 of each year, the Director shall submit to Congress as part of the National Drug Control Strategy, a description of a national drug control performance measurement system, that—

(1) develops 2-year and 5-year performance measures and targets for each National Drug Control Strategy goal and objective established for reducing drug use, availability, and the consequences of drug use;

(2) describes the sources of information and data that will be used for each performance measure incorporated into the performance measurement system;

(3) identifies major programs and activities of the National Drug Control Program agencies that support the goals and annual objectives of the National Drug Control Strategy;

(4) evaluates the contribution of demand reduction and supply reduction activities as defined in section 1701 of this title implemented by each National Drug Control Program agency in support of the National Drug Control Strategy;

(5) monitors consistency between the drug-related goals and objectives of the National Drug Control Program agencies and ensures that each agency’s goals and budgets support and are fully consistent with the National Drug Control Strategy; and

(6) coordinates the development and implementation of national drug control data collection and reporting systems to support policy formulation and performance measurement, including an assessment of—

(A) the quality of current drug use measurement instruments and techniques to measure supply reduction and demand reduction activities;

(B) the adequacy of the coverage of existing national drug use measurement instruments and techniques to measure the illicit drug user population, and groups that are at risk for illicit drug use;

(C) the adequacy of the coverage of existing national treatment outcome monitoring systems to measure the effectiveness of drug abuse treatment in reducing illicit drug use and criminal behavior during and after the completion of substance abuse treatment; and

(D) the actions the Director shall take to correct any deficiencies and limitations identified pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subsection.

(d) Modifications

A description of any modifications made during the preceding year to the national drug performance measurement system described in subsection (c) shall be included in each report submitted under subsection (b).

U.S. Code

§ 1705. Development, submission, implementation, and assessment of National Drug Control Strategy