The Biden administration has finally released its inaugural national drug control strategy, with an emphasis on “saving lives, getting people the care they need, going after drug traffickers, and making better use of data to guide these efforts.” The comprehensive plan is the first such effort that puts harm-reduction strategies front and center—including making overdose reversal medications and drug testing strips more available, among other measures—while also promoting the expansion of drug treatment, educating young people about the dangers of drug use, reducing drug trafficking and the flow of illicit drugs into the country, and building what the administration calls a “recovery-ready nation” that provides housing and workplace opportunities for those in recovery. In other words, the strategy is aimed at meeting “people where they are” to address their substance use issues and provide a continuum of care. Equally important, it recognizes the drug problem in prisons and jails, where drug use is overrepresented in the incarcerated population and treatment services are very limited. Additionally, it promotes expanding the treatment workforce and the use of peer-based specialists as an integral part of services. Still, it’s not exactly clear if there is additional funding available to pay for all of these programs, except for the $4 billion appropriated in the American Rescue Plan to expand access to vital mental health and substance use disorder services.
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Rosenthal Center for AddictIon Studies