White House Announces Funding for Youth Substance Use Prevention
Last Thursday, the White House Office of National Drug Policy (ONDCP) announced $12.4 million in grants as part of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, an effort created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 to prevent youth substance use. The grants will be distributed to 99 new community coalitions across the country working on efforts to prevent youth substance use, including prescription drugs, and to educate communities about illicit fentanyl and counterfeit pills.
“DFC-funded coalitions are an integral part of national, multisector efforts to reduce youth substance use. The DFC Support Program improves collaboration among community leaders, enabling community coalitions to meet the local prevention needs of families and young people in their communities, paving the way for heathier and brighter futures for all,” said CDC Acting Principal Deputy Director Dr. Deb Houry.
On release of the funding announcement, ONDCP Director Dr. Rahul Gupta noted, “Research shows that youth substance use decreased significantly in communities served by a DFC-funded community coalition. This funding for communities reinforces our commitment to preventing youth substance use as part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda to beat the overdose epidemic. By investing in evidence-based prevention strategies like this, we can continue to instead help our youth reach their full potential.”
Articles & Resources
The White House – White House Announces New Funding for Youth Substance Use Prevention Groups Across the Country as Part of President Biden’s Strategy to Beat the Overdose Epidemic
Lawmakers Request ONDCP Provide Additional Support to Address Drug Trafficking
Last week, lawmakers sent a letter to the Biden Administration requesting assistance to address drug-trafficking in the Appalachian region. Senators Mark R. Warner (VA), Tim Kaine (VA), Joe Manchin (WV), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Marsha Blackburn (TN), and Bill Hagerty (TN) sent a letter to Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta detailing their concerns over the high overdose mortality rates in their states. In their letter, the lawmakers request that ONDCP review its criteria and process of awarding the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) designation. The HIDTA grant assistance program – created in 1988 – allocates additional federal resources to federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies in areas deemed as critical drug trafficking regions. The lawmakers urge ONDCP to create new High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) in the Appalachia region, add new counties to existing HIDTAs, and provide a description of the requested review.
Articles & Resources
What We Read Last Week
Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the topic. Links to relevant articles are provided below.
Department of Justice – Pain Management Physician Convicted of Unlawfully Distributing Opioids
Frontiers in Psychiatry – Comorbid Affective and Substance Use Disorders of Medicaid/Medicare Beneficiaries at an Opioid Treatment Program Serving Small Urban and Rural Communities
Harvard Health Publishing – Opioid addiction and overdoses are increasingly harming Black communities
Healio News – Methamphetamine use driving opioid use, overdoses in rural communities
KHN – Public Health Agencies Adapt Covid Lessons to Curb Overdoses, STDs, and Gun Violence
Legal Reader – There’s Still a Shortage of OUD Treatment Drugs Despite a Growing Need
NY Daily News – Time to treat drug cartel leaders as terrorists
Rand Corporation – What Policy Changes Could Help Save Lives from Illicit Synthetic Opioids Overdose?
STAT – Biden administration has simple way to cut overdose deaths, experts say: expand methadone access
STAT – Judge rules CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart owe $650M in opioids suit
The New York Times – The Two Simple Edicts of Successful Addiction Treatment
This Week’s Calendar
In the week ahead, there are no relevant events or hearings noticed at this time. In the event that there are any changes to the schedule for this week, we will make additional information available.
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