The Obama Administration has requested $15.5 billion for the nation’s drug control budget in fiscal year (FY) 2011, up $521.1 million from FY 2010. Prevention and treatment programs saw the most change from this boost, with a 13.4 percent increase in spending on alcohol and drug prevention programs and a 3.7 percent increase for addiction treatment.
Although many addiction treatment advocates welcomed the increased funding for the prevention side, which has seen declining budgets in recent years, some groups were critical of the budget plan, which allocates 64 percent of the funding for the supply reduction side – with modest increases in spending on law enforcement and interdiction programs – and the remaining 36 percent for demand-reduction programs, such as treatment and prevention programs.
“This nation must stop blaming source countries for our problems and face the fact that we can do more to reduce drug use by focusing on treatment, prevention and diversion programs,” said drug budget and policy expert John Carnevale.
The FY 2011 Drug Control Budget allocates $151.1 million for the creation of a national, community-based prevention system to protect adolescents, the improvement of specialty addiction care and the development of efficient ways to manage drug-related offenders.
In addition, a new program called “Successful, Safe and Healthy Students” is set to replace the Department of Education’s Safe and Drug-Free Schools program, with the intention of creating “an improved school climate that reduces drug use.” The new program will receive $283 million under the Obama plan - $107 million more than the SFDS program received in FY 2010 – and will be awarded on a competitive basis.
