Executive Director

Van Ingram is the Executive Director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.  Van joined ODCP in November 2004, shortly after it was created with the mission of coordinating Kentucky’s substance abuse efforts in enforcement, treatment and prevention/education.

Van served with the Maysville Kentucky Police Department for more than 23 years, the last six as Chief of Police.  He is a former President of the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, and was named “Kentucky Chief of the Year” in 2001.  He is the 2004 recipient of the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Law Enforcement, as well as, the Melvin Shein Award for distinguished service to Kentucky law enforcement.

Van is a certified law enforcement instructor and has trained officers across the state on a variety of topics, including Community Oriented Policing, Interview and Interrogation, and Case Management.

Van is a frequent speaker on a variety of substance abuse issues including prescription drug abuse trends, the emerging synthetic drug problem, methamphetamine, the electronic monitoring PSE sales as well as legislative initiatives concerning substance abuse issues.  Van regularly presents  to numerous groups and national organizations on all these topics. 

Governor Steve Beshear signed House Bill 1 on Tuesday, April 24, 2012, calling it a "critical" bill for the health and safety of Kentuckians. 

Kentucky is regarded as the epi-center of the epidemic of prescription pill abuse. 

The governor expanded Kentucky’s prescription monitoring system and instated a new requirement that any new pain medication clinic must be owned by a licensed medical practitioner.  Existing clinics will be under close watch.

The pill mill bill closes a hole in the current system by requiring all doctors and prescribers to register with the system.  Full participation will curb patients from receiving prescriptions from multiple doctors.

For more specific detailed information please read:

House Bill 1 Summary

In early March 2008, the Office of Drug Control Policy, in collaboration with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, began a statewide public service announcement (PSA) campaign to air professionally produced localized media messages in a sustained effort to reduce the incidence of substance abuse in the Commonwealth.  That collaboration brings more than $6 million in professionally produced PSAs to Kentucky.

Addiction is the single greatest preventable illness in the country, and like other diseases, it affects not just the person with the illness, but also family and friends.

Parents and children are inundated with media messages about drug use and abuse among celebrities and major sports figures.  The benefits from the Partnership allow Kentucky to counter those negative messages with positive prevention strategies.  This is another initiative KY-ASAP & the ODCP are doing to support the reduction of youth substance use.

The Office of Drug Control Policy urges all media outlets across Kentucky to participate in the Partnership for a Drug-Free Kentucky Campaign, by running the messages to “un-sell” drugs to Kentucky’s youth. 

Research has shown if a child hears or sees one anti-drug message a day, they are 38% less likely to use drugs.  

When a parent is talking to a child about drugs on a regular basis, the child is 52% less likely to use drugs.

We feel very encouraged and inspired with our ability to make a difference.