The Functions of the Anti-Drug Strategy Unit
The Anti-Drug Strategy Unit is a department within the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP).
Determined to address the problem of illicit drug use and substance abuse among its citizens, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda through its Cabinet approved the National Anti-Drug Strategy early in 2013. The core objective of the Anti-Drug Strategy Unit is to have a national coordinated and harmonised approach to the impact that illicit drugs have on the country. Listed below are the functions of the Anti-Drug Strategy Unit:
- The maintenance of a comprehensive overview of drug control activities of Government Ministries/Agencies, NGOs and community organizations and others entities concerned with drug control;
- Assistance in the development of policies and programmes for prevention of drug abuse, treatment and rehabilitation and supply reduction and related matters;
- The collection, compilation and analysis of national statistical and other data on drug abuse and illicit trafficking, including the regular conduct of surveys and studies that inform policy, and the regular assessment of the state of drug control and implementation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy;
- The preparation of reports and papers, including an Annual Report on the drug situation in Antigua and Barbuda, and the encouragement in, and assistance for, research and production of scholarly works by individuals:
- Cooperating with, and facilitating collaboration among Government Ministries/Agencies, non-governmental and community organizations and the media, to support the implementation of anti-drug projects, programmes and public information campaigns;
- In conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant Governmental entities, assisting in the implementation of obligations arising from the international drug control treaties, articulating Government policies in regional, hemispheric and international organizations, and participating in international standards setting exercises, including in the Caribbean Community, the Organization of American States, the Commonwealth and the United Nations;
- Cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Ministries/Agencies and partners in carrying out Antigua and Barbuda’s reporting obligations relative to drugs and related matters, as required under regional, hemispheric and international treaties and arrangements;
- Coordination of Antigua and Barbuda’s delegations and representation of Antigua and Barbuda in bilateral, regional and international forums concerned with drug abuse and illicit trafficking;
- The convening, organization and management of national drug control forums, and assisting in the convening and organization of bilateral, regional and international meetings held in Antigua and Barbuda.The strategy focuses on four (4) thematic areas to achieve its objectives:
a) Institution Strengthening which addresses the nation’s need to create an institution, namely, The National Drug Council, which will have the legal authority to efforts for prompt actions by its stakeholders;
b) Demand Reduction which consists of a tiered approach utilising the family, school, church, workplace and community working together on health and wellness programmes;
c) Supply Reduction and
d) Control Measures linked as policies and procedures to strengthen the agencies responsible for law enforcement, public order and safety.
The National Anti-Drug Strategy is in keeping with the Hemispheric Anti-Drug Initiative proposed by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the OAS for the period 2011-2015 and which was adapted by the 34 OAS member states. The diagram below indicates the key agencies that have made and continue to make significant contributions to the National Anti-Drug Strategy. The plan also seeks to address the issue of the uniformity of sentencing in relation to drug offenders and money laundering in order to deprive drug traffickers of the proceeds of ill gained assets.
