Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today congratulated Ocean County on being selected to receive Federal resources to better coordinate drug control efforts among Federal, State and local law enforcement entities by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The designation, known as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), provides funding and expertise in the battle against drug traffickers.

     “The opioid epidemic that is occurring here in our back yard is not a problem that can be addressed by a single agency—it will take cooperation throughout all levels of law enforcement,” said Smith. “This designation is a critical step in getting the drugs—and drug traffickers—off of the streets.”

     The HIDTA program was created by Congress in 1988 by the “Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988,” legislation supported by Smith. ONDCP, which operates the HIDTA program, describes it as a catalyst for coordination among Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. Law enforcement organizations working within HIDTAs assess drug-trafficking problems and design specific initiatives to decrease the production, transportation and distribution of drugs.

     “We have long sought the help of this federal drug prevention program to bolster our ability to make substantial impact in our fight to close Ocean County borders to drug dealers,” said Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato. “Simply put: This is a game changer.”

     In addition, Smith announced his co-Sponsorship of the “Road to Recovery Act” (H.R. 2938). H.R. 2938 is bipartisan legislation that eliminates the exclusion for substance use disorder under Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases and helps states expand access to inpatient treatment for its employees.

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