Readout of Evolving and Emerging Drug Threats Committee Meeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, June 13, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), hosted a meeting of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Evolving and Emerging Threats Committee.
In his remarks to the committee members from federal, state and local government, the private sector, academia and non-governmental organizations, Dr. Gupta discussed the current state of the overdose epidemic that has claimed more than 107,000 lives according to CDC’s latest provisional drug overdose death data and the Administration’s response to address addiction and the overdose epidemic. Specifically, he described ONDCP’s new inaugural National Drug Control Strategy, which delivers on the call to action in President Biden’s Unity Agenda through a whole-of-government approach to beat the overdose epidemic. It proposes targeted actions to expand access to evidence-based prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services while reducing the supply of drugs like fentanyl.
The committee’s discussion included the rise in overdose deaths involving methamphetamine and ONDCP’s Methamphetamine Plan that includes specific strategies to address methamphetamine and its impact on public health and safety. The committee also discussed responses to the diversion of veterinary medications and the increase in counterfeit prescription pills.
The Committee will continue to review all available information on evolving and emerging threats, explore how government at every level can significantly improve access to life saving health services for people who use drugs, and assess how the federal government can get more data more quickly on drug threats.
President Biden introduced his inaugural National Drug Control Strategy. Read the full Strategy HERE.
ONDCP introduced the Biden-Harris Administration’s Methamphetamine Plan. Read the plan HERE.
The Biden-Harris Administration has already taken significant actions to address addiction and the overdose epidemic based on the President’s Drug Policy Priorities for Year One.
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