Advocacy Groups Oppose Trump Administration Cuts to Drug Policy Office

More than 150 organizations working to fight the opioid epidemic are opposing the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), The Hill reports.

The groups, led by the Addiction Policy Forum, sent a letter to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who is leading the administration’s response to the opioid crisis. Groups that signed the letter include those involved in prevention, treatment, recovery and criminal justice, the article notes.

Last month, CBS News reported the Trump Administration is planning to cut more than $340 million from ONDCP’s budget. The administration will eliminate the agency’s grant-making capabilities. Two grant programs–the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and Drug-Free Communities–would be relocated to, and managed by, the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services.

“Not only would such a move drastically weaken these vitally important programs, and force them to compete for priority, direction, and funding in larger agencies with competing and higher priorities, but it would significantly impact ONDCP’s ability to effectively carry out its mission,” the groups wrote.