President Donald Trump made history by nominating award-winning investigative reporter Sara Carter to be the first female director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. If confirmed, she will become the administration’s chief spokesperson on drug policy and have statutory control over the whole of the federal government’s drug policy budget, spread across multiple agencies.
Carter brings with her a deep understanding of America’s border crisis and the dangerous drugs that are flowing over the border into communities across the nation. She’s also a mother of six, who likely appreciates how reducing perceptions of harm when it comes to drug use and predatory industries can hook new generations of users. Carter certainly understands that for young people, drug use is particularly damaging.
The challenges she faces are significant. Despite the colloquial title of “drug czar,” or in this case “czarina,” Carter’s position has been increasingly relegated to the background of this national fight. This wasn’t how it was meant to be. Congress created the position of drug czar to coordinate the often-disjointed efforts of the government to prevent dangerous drug use, trafficking, and addiction.
With more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl, 68,000 pounds of cocaine, and 175,000 pounds of marijuana seized at the southern border last year, Carter’s task will be significant. That’s before she addresses the illicit drug market that’s proliferating as states across the nation continue to be hoodwinked by marijuana profiteers who herald legalization as a tax boon and social justice bonanza — when in reality, it is a costly and dangerous policy.