Process
The Synthetic Drug Control Strategy was developed by the Synthetic Drugs Interagency Working Group (SDIWG), an interagency team of Administration officials composed of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Director Walters appointed me co-chair of the SDIWG with senior officials from the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services. The SDIWG met approximately every two months to review synthetic drug control policy, coordinate its implementation, and discuss which initiatives should be formalized as Administration policy in the Synthetic Drug Control Strategy.
ONDCP staff responsible for the drafting of the Synthetics Strategy consulted with Federal, State and local officials prior to and during the drafting process in three significant ways. First, every year, ONDCP staff tasked with writing the National Drug Control Strategy request input in writing from experts throughout the country, including members of Congress and State/local law enforcement. Because the 2006 National Drug Control Strategy and the Synthetic Drug Control Strategy were drafted during the same time frame, ONDCP staff culled out and reviewed all responses related to synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine or prescription drugs. Many of these suggestions were presented to the SDIWG and ultimately incorporated into the Synthetic Drug Control Strategy.
Second, ONDCP staff reached out to specific groups or individuals with known experience and expertise in synthetic drug control policy. For example, on November 14th, 2005, as the drafting process began, ONDCP staff sent an email to every High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program director requesting the views of the HIDTA Directors and HIDTA-associated law enforcement officials “as to how the Administration should fight synthetic drugs like methamphetamine over the next three years” for the purpose of drafting an Administration strategy related to synthetic drugs. In addition to a few individual responses, a collective response was received, reviewed by ONDCP staff and SDIWG leadership, and ultimately several of the HIDTA Directors’ suggestions were incorporated into the Synthetic Drug Control Strategy. Similarly, in developing two initiatives in the Synthetics Strategy which aim to benefit State and local efforts—holding four regional methamphetamine conferences and developing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs—SDIWG leadership and ONDCP staff responsible for drafting the Synthetics Strategy have worked, and are continuing to work, with senior staff at the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws, an organization with expertise in both topics.
Third, one of my responsibilities as Deputy Director for State and Local Affairs is to be a liaison with state and local law officials. Thus, in my dual role as Deputy Director for State and Local Affairs and co-chair of the SDIWG, I have traveled to nearly all fifty states over the last four years on behalf of the President and Director Walters, and the majority of my speeches or meetings concern, at least in part, synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine or prescription drugs. These meetings have afforded me the opportunity to discuss Administration policy, but perhaps more importantly were an invaluable opportunity to consult with State and local officials about the challenges they face related to methamphetamine and other drugs. These discussions were critical to the development of the Synthetic Drug Control Strategy.
