Allegheny, Beaver, Washington Counties to Gain Access to New Resources to Combat Opioid Crisis
Washington, D.C. – Following years of advocacy, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) are announcing that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has designated Allegheny, Beaver and Washington Counties as part of ONDCP’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
“The opioid crisis continues to impact too many families across Pennsylvania,” said Senator Casey. “That’s why I’m pleased that ONDCP has taken a step forward in designating these counties as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program. I was proud to advocate in favor of this designation, including raising this issue directly with the Acting Director of ONDCP earlier this year. I am hopeful that the region will now be better suited to address the opioid crisis, and I will continue to push for improved tools and resources as we address the epidemic together.”
“Pennsylvania is one of the states hit hardest by our nation’s drug and opioid crisis,” said Senator Toomey. “Southwestern Pennsylvania in particular has experienced high levels of overdose deaths. Unfortunately, it is also a significant center of illegal drug trafficking and distribution. I am pleased that the Office of National Drug Control Policy has designated Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington Counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, to help address this devastating issue.”
More on High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs)
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.
This designation enables areas to receive federal resources to further the coordination and development of drug control efforts among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officers, and allows local agencies to benefit from ongoing HIDTA initiatives that are working to reduce drug trafficking across the United States.
More on Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
ONDCP was created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The ONDCP Director is the principal advisor to the President on drug control issues. ONDCP coordinates the drug-control activities and related funding of 16 Federal Departments and Agencies.
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