Opioid Crisis Declared a Public Health Emergency
What Does It Mean?
President Trump has declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, a move that allows for increased funding and resources to combat the epidemic of drug addiction and overdose in the United States.
Trump’s Plan
Trump’s plan includes several key measures:
- Allocating grant money and hiring specialists to address the crisis
- Expanding telemedicine services to reach individuals in remote areas
- Lifting a rule that prevents Medicaid from funding community-based addiction treatment programs with more than 16 beds
- Instructing the National Institute of Health to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies to develop non-addictive painkillers
- Requiring federally employed prescribers to undergo special training on opioid prescribing
- Launching a “massive advertising campaign” to discourage opioid use
Critics’ Response
While some have praised Trump’s directive, others have criticized it as falling short of the drastic effort required to effectively combat the opioid crisis. Critics point out that Trump did not declare the epidemic a national emergency, which would have released additional funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Instead, the declaration frees up money from a public health emergency fund, which currently has limited resources.
The Opioid Epidemic
The opioid crisis has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The number of overdose deaths caused by prescription opioids has quadrupled since 1999, and in 2015 alone, more than 15,000 people died from prescription opioid overdoses. The crisis is also being driven by the use of heroin and fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid.
Fentanyl and Heroin
Fentanyl is a particularly dangerous drug that is often sold on illegal drug markets. When combined with heroin, the mixture can be fatal. Trump has said that he will work on blocking shipments of fentanyl from entering the United States.
Funding and Resources
Experts estimate that it will take billions of dollars to effectively address the opioid epidemic. The public health emergency declaration frees up some funding, but additional resources will be needed from Congress. The administration has said that it will work with Congress to secure additional funding.
Impact on Society
The opioid crisis has affected all parts of society, regardless of age, income, or location. Trump has said that “no part of our society has been spared this plague of drug addiction.”
Additional Measures
In addition to the measures outlined above, Trump’s plan also includes:
- Expanding access to naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses
- Supporting community-based prevention and recovery programs
- Improving data collection and surveillance to track the opioid epidemic
