Memorandum for the Heads of Certain Departments and Agencies on the Office of Drug Abuse Policy

Memorandum for the Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Director of Central Intelligence, Administrator of Veterans Affairs
Subject: Activation of the Office of Drug Abuse Policy (ODAP) and Revitalization of the Strategy Council

Drug abuse continues to drain our human resources, especially from our youth, with no end in sight. I am determined that we make every effort to reverse this trend, and, therefore, effective with the date of issuance of this memorandum do hereby establish the recently enacted Office of Drug Abuse Policy (ODAP). I look forward to early confirmation of the nominations which I have sent to the Senate of Peter G. Bourne and Lee I. Dogoloff for the positions of Director and Deputy Director respectively.

The Office of Drug Abuse Policy shall be responsible for carrying out the Congressional mandate specified in the law. In addition, and to the maximum extent permitted by law, the Director of ODAP is hereby directed to fulfill the following responsibilities:

Recommend government-wide improvements in the organization and management of Federal drug abuse prevention and control functions, and recommend a plan to implement the recommended changes;

Study and recommend changes in the resource and program priorities among all agencies concerned with drug abuse prevention and control;

Assume the lead role in studying and proposing changes in the organization and management of Federal drug abuse prevention and control functions, as part of my promise to reorganize and strengthen the government operations; and

Provide policy direction and coordination among the law enforcement, international and treatment/prevention programs to assure a cohesive and effective strategy that both responds to immediate issues and provides a framework for longer term resolution of problems.

In addition, I am abolishing the Cabinet-level committees concerned with international narcotics control, drug abuse prevention, and drug law enforcement created by previous Administrations, and am directing that the Strategy Council, created by the Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972, be revitalized and serve as the government wide advisory committee for this problem area. Also, I am adding the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget as fully participating members of the Council. The Director of the Office of Drug Abuse Policy shall serve as Executive Director of the Council.

The Council shall be supported by Working Groups for supply control and demand reduction, and be composed of personnel from each of the concerned agencies.

I am confident that you will provide your full support to ODAP and the Strategy Council in the performance of their tasks.

JIMMY CARTER