Synthetic Drug Control Strategy and Evaluation

The President's National Drug Control Strategy describes the Administration's strategic approach for reducing illicit drug use in the United States. The Administration's Synthetic Drug Control Strategy is a companion to the National Strategy. It follows the main principles set out in the National Strategy: that supply and demand are the ultimate drivers in all illicit drug markets and that a balanced approach incorporating prevention, treatment, and market disruption initiatives (such as interdiction, arrests, prosecutions, and regulatory interventions) is the best way to reduce the supply of, and demand for, illicit drugs. The Synthetics Strategy also adheres to the format of the National Strategy by setting ambitious goals for reducing synthetic drug use at a rate approximating 5 percent each year. Specifically, the Synthetics Strategy outlines a strategy for reducing past month methamphetamine use by 15 percent over three years and past month prescription drug abuse2 by 15 percent over three years. Additionally, because the production of methamphetamine poses significant human and environmental risks, the Administration has also set a goal of reducing domestic methamphetamine Labouratories by 25 percent over three years. This and past administrations have traditionally avoided promulgating drug control strategies focused on a single drug or a single category of drugs. However, the unique nature of illicit markets for synthetic drugs warrants a targeted response, partly because those markets contain unique challenges and vulnerabilities. Unlike marijuana or cocaine, for example, either the final synthetic drug (as with prescription drugs) or its ingredients (as with methamphetamine) are designed for legal possession and use. Other reasons include the extreme health and environmental problems associated with the production of drugs such as methampheamine and the indisputably destructive nature of methamphetamine use itself. The Synthetics Strategy adheres to the following outline. Following this introduction, it describes the state of the illicit markets for methamphetamine and controlled substance prescription drugs, including progress made over the last several years. It then sets targets for reduced numbers in three principal categories: illicit methamphetamine use, domestic methamphetamine Labouratories, and the illicit use of controlled substance prescription drugs. This portion explains the fundamental principles and insights guiding the Synthetics Strategy and describes how performance goals will be measured. Next, the document describes the strategy itself, explaining how, given the current state of the illicit synthetic drug market, the Administration will meet targets for use and production by the end of 2008. Here, both supply reduction and demand reduction activities are addressed for both methamphetamine use and controlled substance prescription drug abuse. Finally, the end of the document addresses the problem of responding to the aftermath of methamphetamine production. Improving our knowledge about the health and environmental consequences of methamphetamine labs is critically important toward improving the safety and security of Americans, including the children who are found in or near toxic Labouratories.