2000 Counterdrug Research and Development Blueprint Update
2.0 CTAC R&D Program Summary
The CTAC R&D program can be separated into functional areas based
on each project's application to either demand reduction or supply
reduction activities. Individual R&D projects address technology needs
related to demand reduction in areas such as brain imaging technology,
therapeutic medications assessment and addiction treatment, and related
to supply reduction in areas such as drug detection, communications,
and surveillance. The R&D program also includes operational test and
evaluation activities to evaluate off-the-shelf and emerging technology
prototypes for use in the field.
Table 1. FY1999 - FY 2001 Federal
Counterdrug Research and Development Budget Summary by Agency
|
Agency
|
FY1999
($M)
|
FY2000
($M)
|
FY2001
($M)
|
| |
Actual
|
Enacted
|
Requested
|
| Agricultural
Research Service |
5.299
|
4.765
|
4.765
|
| U.S.
Forest Service |
0.115
|
0.115
|
0.115
|
| Department
of Defense |
31.430
|
32.197
|
26.644
|
| Department
of Education |
0.627
|
0.523
|
0.524
|
| National
Institute of Health |
653.706
|
730.228
|
767.467
|
| Bureau
of Indian Affairs |
1.278
|
1.689
|
1.828
|
| The
Federal Judiciary |
3.808
|
4.299
|
4.770
|
| Drug
Enforcement Administration |
4.894
|
5.034
|
5.468
|
| Federal
Bureau of Investigation |
26.564
|
26.564
|
26.564
|
| Office
of Justice Programs |
10.681
|
10.606
|
17.285
|
| Office
of National Drug Control Policy (Operations) |
1.100
|
1.056
|
1.100
|
| Counterdrug
Technology Assessment Center |
16.000
|
19.000
|
16.700
|
| High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas |
0.000
|
1.530
|
1.800
|
| Special
Forfeiture Fund* |
9.500
|
0.0
|
3.000
|
| U.S.
Coast Guard |
3.482
|
3.713
|
4.563
|
| Federal
Aviation Administration |
1.031
|
1.076
|
1.124
|
| National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
0.400
|
0.450
|
1.200
|
| U.S.
Customs Service |
4.000
|
4.000
|
4.000
|
| Department
of Veterans Affairs |
7.345
|
9.341
|
9.341
|
| Total |
781.260
|
856.186
|
898.258
|
| Total
Federal Drug Budget without '00/'01 Supplemental for Colombia
and the Andean Region |
17,711.200
|
17,500.554
|
18,896.400
|
| R&D
Total as a Percentage of Federal Drug Budget |
4.41%
|
4.89%
|
4.75%
|
| *Special
Forfeiture Fund total includes $5 million for Treatment Research
in FY99 |
Source: National
Drug Control Strategy, Budget Volume, Office of National Drug Control
Policy, 2000
2.1 Demand
Reduction
The Demand Reduction
technology development program supports the NDCS, Goal 3: Reduce
health and social costs to the public of illegal drug use.
CTAC, in conjunction
with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is committed to
improving the tools available for world-class research scientists
to explore and understand the underlying causes of substance abuse,
dependence, and addiction. The Demand Reduction program provides the
nation's leading medical research institutions with the technology
and equipment necessary to support their research teams and faculties.
The R&D efforts are heavily concentrated in the area of brain imaging
technology and the development of catalytic antibodies, therapeutic
drug assessment, treatment effectiveness, juvenile diversion from
the criminal justice system, and studies of the use of banned substances
in intercollegiate and Olympic sports.
2.1.1 Brain
Imaging Technology Initiatives
For the past two
years, CTAC has been sponsoring brain imaging technology development
projects that complement one another in contributing to the sound
understanding of the most complex human organ and behavior known.
-
Functional
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to map brain reward circuitry,
blood volume and flow associated with drug metabolism and interactions
with potential therapeutic medicines (Massachusetts General Hospital
and Emory University).
-
Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) for ultra high resolution of neurobiological
substrates of addiction via use of radioisotope tracers (University
of Pennsylvania).
-
Magnetic Resonance
Spectroscopy (MRS) to image the drug's metabolic and chemical
processes (Harvard University/McLean Hospital).
For several years,
Columbia University has been synthesizing highly active protein compounds
of catalytic antibodies. The objective is to produce an anti-cocaine
medication that acts as a peripheral blocker. This approach reduces
serum cocaine concentrations in the blood thereby depriving the cocaine
abuser of the behavioral reinforcing effect of the drug. A promising
candidate compound (15A10) has been demonstrated to be effective in
blocking cocaine in small animals.
Yerkes Regional
Primate Research Center at Emory University has found that analogs
of certain phenyltropane compounds prove to be effective candidate
compounds for agonist medications to combat cocaine abuse. The team,
partially under CTAC sponsorship, has recently characterized eighteen
NIDA-identified compounds in rodents and is now testing two of the
best candidates in monkey models. The ideal pretreatment time and
doses for RTI 177 have been determined.
2.1.2 Drug
Abuse Treatment Effectiveness
For the past three
years, the Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia
University has been developing the Drug Evaluation Network System
(DENS). DENS is a central computer system using the latest database
and executive information system technology. It contains algorithms
to evaluate and monitor substance abuse treatment programs by tracking,
in real time, patients entering treatment, their characteristics and
discharge status. This information is online and made available to
treatment providers, researchers and managers. The DENS software architecture
can host a variety of trend and treatment effectiveness methodologies.
It currently is being configured to support the following two methodologies.
-
The National
Evaluation of Substance Abuse Treatment (NESAT) is a nationally
representative, randomly selected longitudinal study of 2,000
patients enrolled in treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse at
200 programs nationwide. The study is designed to document the
range of effectiveness of various treatment modalities and to
identify those patient and program characteristics that are predictive
of successful outcomes. Treatment programs were selected and periodic
interviews were conducted. Follow-up interviews have started for
the initial patients.
-
The Random
Access Monitoring of Narcotic Addicts (RAMONA) provides national
estimates of the size of the hardcore drug using population in
the United States. It is based on a methodology demonstrated in
Cook County, IL for estimating the number of drug users in a given
geographic area based on arrest, shelter stay, and treatment admission
activity.
2.1.3 Juvenile
Diversion
A project is being
conducted by the New Orleans District Attorney's Office to improve
approaches for drug abuse treatment on new youth offenders involved
in substance abuse. This 33-month research project examines the effectiveness
of two therapeutic approaches with 12 to 16 year old, first-time,
non-violent juvenile arrestees who are substance abusers. These juveniles
have their case "diverted" out of the normal judicial process, pending
completion of program requirements.
Eligible juvenile
arrestees who volunteer for the study are randomly assigned to one
of three groups: two "diverted" groups or a third control group where
the juveniles face normal prosecution. Changes in outcome measures
are examined from information obtained through follow-up contacts
at approximately 6 and 12 months following arrest. These measures
include self-reported drug use, drug testing results, criminal recidivism
and aspects of psychological functioning.
2.1.4 Substance
Abuse and Drugs in Sports
A comprehensive
analysis of the use of banned substances and drugs of abuse among
Olympic, professional, collegiate and high school athletes in America
is being sponsored to identify more effective substance abuse testing,
sanctions and treatment. The analysis will identify problematic substances,
masking agents, and gaps in current testing procedures. Recommendations
will be developed for how future research into new testing procedures
should be directed.
2.2 Supply
Reduction
The Supply Reduction
Technology Development, Test and Evaluation initiatives address Goal
2 and Goal 4 of the NDCS. The supply reduction program addresses
applied developments in technology areas such as nonintrusive inspection,
tactical technologies and test and evaluation. The goal of the supply
reduction program is to support improved counterdrug capabilities
that transcend the need of any single Federal agency. Additionally,
CTAC resources in supply reduction are concentrated on those applications
that also can be transitioned to the State and local agencies under
the Technology Transfer Program.
2.2.1 Nonintrusive
Inspection Technologies
CTAC works closely
with the Federal drug control agencies, especially the U.S. Customs
Service and Department of Defense, in the development and evaluation
of nonintrusive inspection systems for the detection of illicit drugs
concealed in cargo, containers, and conveyances. CTAC's concentrates
its efforts on the development of the higher risk technologies, such
as, gamma ray and neutron-based inspection systems.
A project is being
conducted to develop and evaluate a fixed-site gamma ray imaging system
for the inspection of railroad cars. The system design is based upon
prototypes developed for vehicle and truck inspections. Using a stationary
radioactive source and detectors, the system is expected to image
rail cars at a speed of 5 mph.
Researchers at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing an
advanced means of signal processing for neutron interrogation techniques
for cargo inspection. The goal is to overcome some of the primary
disadvantages of X-ray and large-scale neutron systems; including
the need for particle accelerators, mechanical scanning, and tight
pulsing while reducing system costs.
A drug detection
dog-breeding center has been established in conjunction with the U.S.
Customs Service. The breeding strategy is based upon quantitative
genetic principles proven by the Australian Customs Service. The U.S.
program is following the Australian protocols and ultimately may open
the way for a worldwide canine gene pool.
2.2.2 Tactical
Technologies
CTAC assists law
enforcement agencies in applying state-of-the-art tactical tools to
exploit the capabilities of high-speed computer and communications
networks to meet operational counterdrug technical needs. This program
continues investigations into the use of computer networks and case-building
software tools for law enforcement applications.
Software tools
under development include data mining, link analysis, and multimedia
case management applications. Demonstration projects with State and
local law enforcement agencies on computer-based drug crime data sharing
technologies have been conducted in California, Idaho, Iowa, and Colorado.
Operational systems are located in Texas, New York and New Hampshire.
Successful projects will be made available for transition to other
State and local law enforcement organizations through the Technology
Transfer Program.
An evaluation
of mobile/transportable drug destruction technologies also was conducted
for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
2.2.3 Test
and Evaluation Support
This work area
includes efforts such as technology assessments, phenomenology research,
and test and evaluation of emerging and advanced systems. The test
and evaluation activity includes advanced concept theoretical studies
and experimental evaluations in operational testbeds of promising
law enforcement systems. For example, CTAC sponsored a test and evaluation
program to assess the performance of tracking and navigation systems
(such as, GPS based systems) as they are used in counterdrug law enforcement
applications.
