Press Release - April 10, 2003

Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Visits the National Drug Intelligence Center in Johnstown to Discuss Coordination of Illicit Drug Intelligence

Johnstown, PA - John P. Walters, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), visited the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) in Johnstown today to receive a series of briefings and to discuss new ways NDIC can provide viable, strategic drug intelligence to assist ONDCP in its mission. He also toured the Center and spoke to NDIC employees about the nation's counterdrug efforts.

Director Walters received a special briefing on NDIC's 2003 National Drug Threat Assessment, a comprehensive report of the nation's illicit drug problem including information on production, cultivation, and distribution of illegal drugs. Director Walters discussed on-going domestic strategic intelligence products NDIC is producing for his office and ideas for future drug intelligence support.

"The National Drug Intelligence Center provides us with vital information we need to disrupt the market for illegal drugs in America. We look forward to working with them as we reduce the supply of drugs into our communities, treat those who have become addicted, and prevent drug use before it starts," said John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy.

NDIC compiles domestic drug intelligence that provides a detailed analysis for ONDCP of the nation's primary drug problems. This information is vital to further ONDCP's work in drug policy formulation in the areas of education, treatment and law enforcement.

"As a primary customer of NDIC intelligence products, it is important for Mr. Walters to have a first hand look at NDIC's capabilities," said Michael T. Horn, Director of the National Drug Intelligence Center.

The President's goal is to reduce drug use by 10 percent over the next 2 years and by 25 percent over the next 5 years. Information supplied by NDIC helps to identify trends in drug trafficking in order to develop new measures to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics in communities across America. ONDCP relies on information received from NDIC about current drug markets to help them make informed decisions to direct national drug control policy. ONDCP uses NDIC produced intelligence to help guide its on-going counterdrug policy agenda as outlined in the President's National Drug Control Strategy. One of the primary elements of the strategy is to disrupt illegal drug markets. Information on major drug markets supplied by NDIC assists ONDCP to meet this objective.

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