Summary: The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program run by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to combat drug trafficking in critical areas of the United States. ONDCP requires each high intensity drug trafficking area to (1) assess drug threats within its geographic area, (2) prepare strategies and initiatives to address these threats, (3) develop a proposed budget to accomplish its initiatives, and (4) prepare an annual report on its accomplishments. Each high intensity drug trafficking area is allowed to tailor its own program to address local needs. For example, one area has a substantially greater treatment and prevention component than the others because it is a major distribution center with a large number of hard-core drug abusers. The program has grown substantially since its inception, from the original five areas in 1990 to 20 in 1998. The number of headquarters staff overseeing the program has also grown--from one in 1991 to six today. ONDCP has made some progress in developing approaches to evaluate the program's effectiveness, but more work remains. Total budget authority for the program rose from $25 million in 1990 to about $162 million in 1998. Headquarters officials and three area directors said that the program has underscored the value of collocation and intelligence-sharing among federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
