WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has designated Carroll County and Grayson County as Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). The designations will enable each county to receive federal resources and tools to improve drug control efforts and coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement. 

“Too many families throughout the Commonwealth are suffering from the devastating epidemic of addictive and deadly drugs. It’s incredibly important that we stop the flow of drugs to communities in Virginia,” Sen. Warner said. “I’m pleased that Carroll and Grayson counties have been chosen to receive federal dollars to strengthen community-based efforts to prevent drug use and overdose deaths, expand access to treat those who need it, and support Virginians in recovery. There are more counties in Virginia that are in desperate need of additional resources to fight this epidemic, and I will to continue to work with ONDCP to ensure those needs are met.” 

“In the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in Virginia, these designations will provide critical tools for preventing drug abuse and addiction through increased community engagement,” said Kaine. “Drug abuse is challenging law enforcement, hurting business and impacting families across the Commonwealth. I want to thank the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Director Botticelli for their work to reduce drug use in the United States and pledge to continue my efforts in the Senate to prevent overdose deaths, increase access to rehabilitation programs and improve public health.”

Created by Congress in 1988, the HIDTA program serves 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 issues and design specific initiatives to decrease the production, transportation, distribution and chronic use of drugs and money laundering.

Other counties in Virginia that are a part of the HIDTA program include:

• Appalachia HIDTA: Dickenson, Lee, Scott, Tazewell, Wise
• Washington/Baltimore HIDTA: Arlington, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Loudoun, Hanover, Henrico, Prince George, Prince William, Roanoke, and the Cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Richmond, Roanoke and Virginia Beach.