Reducing the Supply of Drugs and Related Harms of the Drug Market to Сommunities
Criminal Justice System Approaches
Recovery
Summary: There are ongoing efforts to reduce the supply of illicit drugs and displace the criminal organizations that produce and traffic them. Law enforcement agencies across all levels of government work in coordination to reduce the production of drugs, the distribution of them into our borders, and the sale of them to domestic users, in addition to targeting the financial networks that launder drug-related proceeds after the sale. Multinational cooperation, as well as leadership at international forums, plays a central role in addressing the globalized drug trade. The drug crisis has evolved to include synthetic and plant-based substances, which have different trafficking patterns and require different interdiction strategies.
The plentiful supply and widespread availability of high potency illicit drugs fuel drug consumption across all sectors of American society.
– National Drug Control Strategy
- The number of doses of fentanyl seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection increased by 100% by 2025, from 1.2 billion doses in FY 2023 to 2.4 billion doses in FY 2030.
- The number of counties that are given a HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) designation is increased by 25% by 2030.
- The production potential of cocaine is reduced by 33% by 2030; the production potential of heroin is reduced by 33% by 2030.
Interdiction efforts have proven successful in seizing large quantities of illicit drugs, which can temporarily reduce their availability in American communities. Interdictions increase the cost of drugs, potentially reducing the quantity that is purchased by users—cheaper drugs would be used more heavily, other things equal. The Institute for Behavior and Health stated, “Supply reduction is an effective tool for demand reduction because when drugs cost more and are more difficult to obtain there are fewer drug users and less demand for illegal drugs.” It is unlikely that anyone would argue for the opposite and claim that a greater supply of illicit drugs would improve the drug crisis. Demand reduction has the ability to reduce drug-related crime.
International cooperation has been hindered by adversarial nations that shirk responsibility for their role in the drug crisis. Supply reduction interventions do not always lead to lasting improvements and do not necessarily address the underlying issue of demand for the illicit drugs. The drug trade has been globalized, with different steps occurring in different countries. Drugs are also trafficked by sea, air, and land, with constantly evolving routes.
Specific Recommendation 11Capacity building and political will at the national level are needed to decrease supply and target, disrupt, degrade, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, networks, and their facilitators in furtherance of both domestic and transnational priorities.
Summary: In order to limit the supply of illicit drugs and advance national interests, there must be increased capacity and political will for targeting and disrupting transnational criminal organizations and their financial networks.
Description: To further both domestic and transnational priorities in the drug policy arena, policymakers must:
- Ensure there is sufficient political will for supply reduction efforts: Policymakers––in both the legislative and executive branches––must ensure political will remains for addressing the drug crisis, including by supporting supply-side interventions. Policymakers must remain committed to upholding and enforcing our nation’s drug laws against those who produce, transport, and sell drugs, as they are needed for the disruption of the organizations they work for. Political will is particularly important on the international stage, given that many of the illicit drugs that are misused in the United States are produced beyond our borders. Supply reduction should not be viewed as a partisan issue.
- Invest in capacity building at the national level: Amid the ever-evolving nature of the drug crisis, policymakers must invest in capacity building in order to stay one step ahead of the transnational criminal organizations that are producing the drugs behind the crisis. This includes investing in training and technology to help law enforcement better detect and interdict illicit drugs as they are being produced and transported. Capacity must be increased for intelligence and surveillance efforts. Interdictions must target all steps along the supply chain, ranging from the distribution of precursor chemicals to the sale of finished products. Border security must also be enhanced, as most drugs are transported across legal ports of entry.
- Target the financial operations of transnational criminal organizations: We must continue to expand our ability to track and disrupt the ability of transnational criminal organizations to transfer their financial resources through and out of the country. Officials should also pursue the leaders of these organizations and work to seize their assets. Notably, a group of former leaders of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Office of National Drug Control Policy warned that the SAFE Banking Act, a bill introduced to allow marijuana companies to transfer their proceeds into banks, could be exploited by the cartels to launder their ill-gotten funds. By targeting the finances of these criminal organizations, we can undermine their ability to expand their operations and fuel the drug crisis.
Specific Recommendation 12Political commitments from governments in partnership can effectively reduce the collective global drug threat through a range of multinational strategies and tactics.
Summary: International cooperation is central to drug control policy. The United States must secure commitments from foreign governments to confront the drug trafficking organizations that operate within their borders, while continuing to provide leadership in international dialogues and sharing intelligence with trusted allies.
Description: The 2022 National Drug Control Strategy stated, “The increasingly dynamic and complex nature of the international illicit drug trade demands enhanced cooperation with international partners that reflects the reality of a globalized supply chain for illicit drugs and their precursor chemicals,” adding that “strengthening foreign partnerships is a crucial element in our efforts to reduce the supply of illicit substances in America’s communities.” Specifically, policymakers must work to:
- Foster multinational cooperation: From China to India to Colombia and Mexico, the United States must work directly with the nations that supply the drugs––and their precursor chemicals –– that ultimately end up in our communities. This step recognizes the increasingly globalized nature of the drug trade and that transnational criminal organizations often operate across borders to conceal their operations. The United States should work to secure commitments from key countries to target drug producers within their jurisdictions. Premised on shared responsibility, the United States can pursue alternative development, particularly in Latin American countries.
- Expand intelligence sharing: Intelligence is vital for understanding the innerworkings of transnational criminal organizations; the National Drug Control Strategy has cited the importance of “Five Eyes,” an intelligence sharing collaborative between the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Intelligence can be gathered by human assets, as well as through the use of technology. Intelligence sharing between trusted nations is vital for better understanding distribution routes and emerging trends, in addition to coordinating international law enforcement operations.
- Provide leadership at international forums and engagements: The United States must continue to provide unwavering leadership at international forums, including at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs through the United Nations. Additionally, the United States works through the North America Drug Dialogue, the Organization of American States, and the U.S.-EU Political Dialogue on Drugs to better address drug threats and collaborate with partner nations. The Drug Enforcement Administration hosts the International Drug Enforcement Conference, which is attended by representatives from more than 100 nations. International forums often discuss emerging drug trends and potential responses, such as the scheduling of new substances. Political will is necessary for advancing our interests at home and abroad alongside partner and competing nations. Diplomatic engagement is also needed between countries to bring about reforms, such as extraditions and resource mobilization. Integrating drug policy goals with those such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also vital to advancing good drug policy interests.
Specific Recommendation 13Balanced approaches incorporating drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction recognize the interrelationship between both sides of the drug problem required to achieve comprehensive results.
Summary: Supply reduction interventions aim to disrupt the production, distribution, and sale of illicit drugs, while demand reduction interventions focus on prevention, treatment, and recovery. Our drug policy must recognize the importance of both and aim to strengthen the connections between the two, particularly at the community level.
Description: D. Christopher Evans, the then-Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, proclaimed in the 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment, “Only by working together — law enforcement, public health officials, educators, and community advocates — can we develop and implement the innovative solutions required to overcome this public health crisis.” To build on this vision, policymakers should:
- Promote cooperation between local law enforcement and public health through combined engagement within the community thereby showing unity between approaches. This approach acknowledges their shared responsibility for addressing the drug problems facing communities. As law enforcement are often the first responders at the scene of overdoses, it is vitally important for them to carry Narcan and be trained in how to administer it. Law enforcement officers are a top referral source to treatment, helping to facilitate connections and set people on their pathway to recovery.
- Engage with community members to identify challenges within neighborhoods. Known as community policing, this approach is premised on law enforcement officers working with residents to identify and solve community-level problems, thereby improving quality of life. Law enforcement can also collaborate on outreach initiatives, educational programs, and community forums, helping to raise awareness about the harms of drugs. Given the occurrence of drug use (both outdoors and in private) and drug dealing, in addition to homelessness, law enforcement can work to address these challenges, simultaneously improving public health and safety.
- Allocate additional resources to community safety and homeless outreach programs to remove burdens from local police. Rather than having local police respond to all non-violent encounters with homeless individuals, many of these individuals would be better served by alternatives that work in partnership with public health and law enforcement, including street ambassador programs, homeless outreach teams and street medicine. As many homeless people have a substance use disorder or mental health disorder, there is the added benefit of providing them with needed support services, while allowing police to prioritize other community issues.