National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded the Center for Substance Use, Addiction & Health Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland, College Park, to develop this nationwide public health surveillance system from 2014 to 2020. As of August 2020, the NDEWS Coordinating Center is housed at the University of Florida. 

The National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) monitors emerging drug use trends to enable health experts, researchers, and concerned citizens across the country to respond quickly to potential outbreaks of illicit drugs such as heroin and to identify increased use of designer synthetic compounds.