STATE OF INDIANA
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
INDIANAPOLIS
FOR: CREATION OF POSITION OF "EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR DRUG PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND ENFORCEMENT"
TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME, GREETINGS.
WHEREAS, since 1999, the State of Indiana has seen a 500% increase in the rate of drug overdose deaths, with thousands of Hoosiers losing their lives as a result of drug overdoses in recent years;
WHEREAS, approximately ninety percent (90%) of people with addiction begin using illicit drugs before the age of 18, with twenty-one percent (21%) of Indiana's teenagers admitting to the use of drugs for non-medical reasons;
WHEREAS, drug abuse is a severe and chronic problem in our State and has been linked to the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis C;
WHEREAS, in 2015, both the Indiana State Department of Health ("ISDH") and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") determined that an HIV outbreak in Scott County rose to the level of an epidemic, with virtually all of the HIV cases originating from intravenous drug use, and the State actively responded to the outbreak by declaring a public health disaster emergency while taking immediate steps to help control and alleviate the epidemic;
WHEREAS, the epidemic of drug abuse is not unique to Scott County and is being experienced, tragically, by other counties throughout our State;
WHEREAS, drug abuse is also a significant cause of crimes against people and property in our State, placing Indiana, for example, first in our country for the number of pharmacy robberies in 2015 and 2016;
WHEREAS, the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse (the "Commission") was recently created by Ind. Code § 4-3-25, and provides that a member of the Governor's staff shall serve as chairperson and also determine the agenda for this Commission;
WHEREAS, the Commission has been given the statutory authority and power to:
(1) Establish working groups consisting of individuals appointed by the chairperson, including individuals who are not members of the Commission (such as lay members and subject matter experts);
(2) Identify ways for state agencies to coordinate with each other on substance abuse prevention, treatment, and enforcement programming and funding;
(3) Promote information sharing throughout Indiana concerning substance abuse prevention, treatment, and enforcement;
(4) Cooperate with other commissions, governmental entities, and stakeholders engaged in substance abuse prevention, treatment, and enforcement;
(5) Study local programs that have been proven to be effective in addressing substance abuse;
(6) Seek guidance from local coordinating councils to identify substance abuse issues in local communities and evaluate the resources available to address local needs;
(7) Study and evaluate the following concerning substance abuse treatment and prevention services in Indiana:
a. the availability of and access to the services;
b. the duplication of services, if any;
c. funding of the services; and
d. barriers to obtaining the services;
(8) Coordinate the collection of data concerning substance abuse and the needs, programming, and effectiveness of state supported substance abuse treatment and prevention services; and
(9) Recommend, to the executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, roles, responsibilities, and performance standards for local coordinating councils;
WHEREAS, the Commission also has the authority to request information from substance abuse experts and state agencies, including, but not limited to, outcome data on prevention and treatment of substance abuse; and
WHEREAS, this dangerous and destructive trend of drug abuse in our State requires urgent and concerted action by all elements of Indiana state government in order to promptly and effectively reduce the terrible impact this epidemic is having on Indiana's citizens, families and children.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Eric J. Holcomb, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Indiana, do hereby order that:
1. The position and office of Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement (the "Executive Director") is hereby created.
2. The Executive Director shall be appointed by, report directly to, and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Executive Director shall have a direct relationship to, and shall be a part of, the Office of the Governor.
3. The Governor hereby appoints the Executive Director to the Commission. As the Governor's representative on said Commission, the Executive Director shall serve as the chairperson and set the agenda of the Commission.
4. While law requires the Commission to meet at least four (4) times per year, the Executive Director, being a part of the Office of the Governor, shall have a constant, consistent and committed focus on this epidemic throughout the entire year, and shall interact, engage and coordinate with all elements of our state government, as well as the private sector, in responding to the drug epidemic affecting our State.
5. The Executive Director, as the Governor's appointed representative on the Commission, shall have such powers, duties, and responsibilities as set forth by statute. In addition, the Executive Director shall have such powers, duties and responsibilities as may be designated from time to time by the Governor consistent with the exercise of executive authority under the Constitution and the laws of the State of Indiana.
6. In order to promptly, comprehensively and proactively respond to, and recover from, the drug epidemic affecting our State, all of the instrumentalities, agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, and officers of the executive, including the administrative, department of state government, as well as all bodies corporate and politic set up as instrumentalities of the State, shall cooperate with, and provide assistance to, the Executive Director in implementing this Executive Order to the fullest extent permitted by law.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I, Eric J. Holcomb, have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Indiana on this 9th day of January, 2017.
Eric J. Holcomb
Governor of Indiana
Posted: 02/01/2017 by Legislative Services Agency
DIN: 20170201-IR-GOV170034EOA
Composed: May 01,2024 8:37:55PM EDT
A
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