President Trump is Combatting the Opioid Crisis

COMING TOGETHER TO COMBAT THE OPIOID CRISIS: Today, the White House is hosting an Opioid Summit to discuss the Administration-wide efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

  • The Opioid Summit will include individuals who have been affected by the opioid crisis and addiction- and recovery-focused organizations.
  • Members of President Trump’s Administration will detail the actions they have undertaken to confront the opioid crisis on all possible fronts.
    • The Administration’s efforts to address drug addiction and opioid abuse are focused on education and prevention, treatment and recovery, and law enforcement and interdiction.
  • Panels on the Administration’s efforts to fight back against the opioid crisis will include:
    • Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, and
    • Law Enforcement and Interdiction.

FIGHTING BACK: President Trump has made clear that his Administration will fight back against the opioid crisis facing our Nation.

  • President Trump has directed actions across the entire executive branch designed to target drug addiction and opioid abuse.
  • President Trump announced on October 26, 2017, that his Administration would declare the opioid crisis a Nationwide Public Health Emergency.
    • The declaration opened up avenues necessary to combatting the opioid crisis.
  • The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis issued a final report on November 1, 2017, and the Administration has already begun acting on a number of the Commission’s recommendations.
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EDUCATION AND PREVENTION: President Trump’s Administration is fighting back against the opioid crisis through education and prevention.

  • The President’s Administration led a national “Take Back Day” which collected 456 tons of expired and unneeded prescription drugs, making it the most successful “Take Back Day” on record.
    • National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a means for disposing of prescription drugs while also educating the public about prescription drug abuse.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) became the first hospital system to release opioid prescribing rates.  The VA began publicly posting information on opioids dispensed from VA pharmacies, along with VA’s strategies to prescribe these pain medications appropriately.
  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering new ways to facilitate appropriate prescribing practices.

TREATMENT AND RECOVERY:  The President’s Administration has taken action to provide more treatment and recovery options for those struggling with opioid addiction.

  • The President’s Budget proposes $3 billion in new funding in 2018 and $10 billion in new funding in 2019 for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to combat the opioid epidemic.
  • The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released consumer information that will help individuals seeking treatment for opioid dependence or withdrawal.
  • SAMHSA awarded $485 million State Targeted Response grants in FY 2017 to help States, territories and jurisdictions expand prevention, treatment and recovery support services for individuals with an opioid use disorder.
  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new policy that gives States more flexibility to enact demonstration projects that include coverage of inpatient or residential addiction treatment programs in facilities not typically covered by Medicaid.
  • FDA approved a new buprenorphine medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder that requires monthly treatment, compared to other treatments requiring daily medication.
  • CDC’s Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance grant program funding went to States to strengthen prevention efforts and better track opioid-related overdoses.
  • CDC also funded Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States grants, a program that provides state health departments with resources and support needed to advance interventions for preventing prescription drug overdoses.
  • The Health Resources and Services Administration is expanding access to substance abuse treatment services through primary care providers in underserved communities.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTERDICTION: Under President Trump, Federal law enforcement has fought to curb the illegal importation and distribution of opioids that has helped fuel this epidemic.

  • This week Attorney General Sessions announced the creation of the Prescription Interdiction & Litigation (PIL) Task Force, which will focus on targeting opioid manufacturers and distributors who have contributed to the epidemic.
  • In January, Attorney General Sessions announced a new Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) Team tasked with helping law enforcement disrupt online sales of illicit opioids.
  • The Department of Justice launched a health care fraud crackdown that charged more than 400 defendants, including more than 120 for their role in prescribing and distributing opioids and other narcotics.
  • The Department of Justice secured its first-ever indictments against Chinese fentanyl manufacturers.
  • The President signed the INTERDICT Act on January 10, 2018, authorizing to enhance efforts to detect and interdict the supply of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl that are being illegally imported.
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Phyllis Goss
Phyllis Goss
6 years ago

We LOVE President Trump

Aaron
Aaron
6 years ago

Its awesome that someone is finally doing something about the crisis! I have experience with this topic (drug/alcohol addiction and recovery). Its a complicated matter.

I feel there needs to be more recovery options- detoxification and recovery. There are not enough treatment facilities and then not enough recovery for after care- Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous type maintenance plans are available for those who want it, yet they must want to quit and stay stopped. There are many profiteers and false information on recovery, so you must be cautious on what is broadcasted.

Keep up the good work,
Aaron

FRENCHIE
FRENCHIE
6 years ago

THIS IS ALL WELL & GOOD, BUT…AS USUAL, THE ONLY ONES BEING AFFECTED IN ANY REAL WAY ARE LAW ABIDING PEOPLE WITH A LEGITIMATE NEED FOR THE MEDICATION. I’M A 100% SERVICE CONNECTED DISABLED VETERAN WHO SUFFERS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN & SCIATICA . THE VA, WHO DOESN’T EVEN WANT TO HEAR THE WORDS “CHRONIC PAIN”, PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME ELAVIL ( AN ANTI-DEPRESSANT – HAPPY-PILLS) FOR THE PAIN & TOLD ME THAT’S ALL THEY CAN GIVE ME BECAUSE OF THIS “WAR ON OPIOIDS”. I’M SORRY, BUT YOU DON’T GIVE SOMEBODY WITH DEBILITATING CHRONIC PAIN A BUNCH OF HAPPY-PILLS & TELL THEM “THAT’S WHAT YOU GET, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT”. I’M SICK & TIRED OF BEING IN PAIN EVERY DAY BECAUSE SOME WORTHLESS PIECE OF $#!T JUNKIE HAS TO GET HIGH. WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THEIR WRONG DOING ? I HAVE A LEGITIMATE NEED, YET HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF SOME PIECE OF HUMAN WASTE IS USING HEROIN. THE GOV’T ALWAYS ATTACKS THE WRONG PEOPLE & THE WRONG PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THE WRONGS OF OTHERS. IF YOU’RE NOT QUITE GETTING WHAT I’M SAYING, THINK GUN CONTROL. SOMEBODY WITH NO BUSINESS HAVING A GUN CAUSES TROUBLE WITH ONE, A SLEW OF NEW GUN LAWS COMES ALONG & ONLY AFFECTS LAW ABIDING GUN OWNERS. CRIMINALS (LIKE JUNKIES) ARE GOING TO GET WHAT THEY WANT, REGARDLESS OF LEGALITIES & LAWS. YOU WANT TO STOP THE OPIOID CRISIS & ONLY AFFECT THE ONES DOING WRONG ? LET ME EXPLAIN THE COMMON SENSE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS – OUTLAW NARCAN !!! LET THE DAMN JUNKIES O.D. & DIE WITH NOBODY GIVING THEM NARCAN & NO “MULLIGANS” ON IT. THE PROBLEM WILL QUICKLY RIGHT ITSELF. THEY’LL EITHER SEEK TREATMENT, OR THEY’LL DIE FROM THEIR OWN STUPIDITY. STOP PUNISHING THE WRONG PEOPLE !!! IT’S STUPIDITY TO THE UMPTEENTH POWER & YOUR “FEEL GOOD” LEGISLATION IS AFFECTING THE WRONG PEOPLE…WHEN WILL THE GOV’T EVER LEARN ???

John Chontos
John Chontos
6 years ago

Nonintoxicating CBC oils have been proven to eliminate pain and other symptoms and help with PTSD so why not put lab resources to work improving that capability? Instead, Sessions doubles down on keeping it a category 1 drug when it could be the key to replace opioids.

mark
mark
6 years ago

I don’t see law enforcement wanting drugs to stop, to much money in arrest and fines and convictions.

Karen Fronick
Karen Fronick
6 years ago

I just had major surgery a they want legetimate people to take tylenol. Let polozie have major surgery.

Sergio
Sergio
6 years ago

How many “War on Drugs” programs do we need? Until we stop financing political campaigns with drug cartel bribes nothing will change. The drug cartels aren’t stupid, they know where to spend money.

ABUTOM
ABUTOM
6 years ago

SPIRIT OF AMERICA PARTY BOOK. CHAPTER ONE DRUGS SUCK.

Darlene Gansel
Darlene Gansel
6 years ago

What about the chronic severe suffering of the people that have tried everything…..Medical Marijuana is haivng great success at stopping the opioid crises
Please have an open mind…..this is serious

Dub Creech
Dub Creech
6 years ago

You’re doing a great job Mr. President. Too bad you get so much flack from the left not matter how hard you try and all the good you have done since you entered office. Please don’t forget, you have millions of us that believes in you; you just need to call for help when you’re in a jam.

FRENCHIE
FRENCHIE
6 years ago

OUTLAW NARCAN & END THE WHOLE “OPIOID CRISIS” !!! WHEN THERE’S NOBODY TO SAVE THESE JUNKIES, MAYBE THEY’LL START THINKING ABOUT REHAB & PEOPLE WHO NEED MEDICATION FOR LEGITIMATE CONDITIONS CAN STOP LIVING IN PAIN BECAUSE SOME WORTHLESS JUNKIE HAS TO GET HIGH. THE GOV’T ALWAYS ATTACKS THE WRONG END OF A PROBLEM. IT’S AMAZING TO ME HOW THEY CAN BE SO WRONG SO MUCH OF THE TIME & THINGS AREN’T WORSE THAN WHAT THEY ARE…FREAKIN’ IDIOTS RUNNING D.C. . I BELIEVE TRUMP IS DOING WHAT HE THINKS IS RIGHT, & I DON’T KNOCK HIM FOR THAT. BUT PLEASE, MR. PRESIDENT, THINK ABOUT THE ONES YOU’RE OVERLOOKING. PEOPLE WHO ARE LEGITIMATELY HURTING & HAVE REAL SERIOUS PAIN ISSUES DON’T NEED GOV’T INTERFERENCE . ESPECIALLY WHEN JUNKIES ARE GOING TO GET HEROIN WHETHER OR NOT THERE’S 10,000 RESTRICTIONS ON PRESCRIPTION PAIN MEDICATIONS. PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WAY GUN CONTROL DOESN’T AFFECT CRIMINALS, ONLY LAW ABIDING PEOPLE. THINK BEFORE YOU LEGISLATE…………..

Rich Kenny
Rich Kenny
6 years ago

How can you fight the opioid crises since you made the intro into it (marijuana) legal? I is just one more step into that area of desperation and degradation…. and we have provided the pathway, and it is not a narrow one but wide and most accessible.

Michael C. Lagree
Michael C. Lagree
6 years ago

The opioid crisis is a joke compared to Disenfranchising 18-21 year olds by not allowing them to own a rifle when a 17 year old can join the military, go across the water and kill evil scum wholesale, lose limbs and die for the scumbag politicians in this country, and then come home and not be allowed to own a gun to defend hearth & home is ludicrous, ridiculous, and just plain stupid. Who the hell are these people to tear up the constitution and abet this insanity?? Has President Trump Lost his mind???

Swannee Welsh AFP-AZ Outstanding Activist 2016
Swannee Welsh AFP-AZ Outstanding Activist 2016
6 years ago

Sometimes all the a** licking in DC is hard to figure out. I suppose that when everyone is telling you yes you say YES back! I PAC! OPEN CARRY and have a CCW Permit. MY Mossberg and Sig Sauer rock! I will protect MYSELF!

monique
monique
6 years ago

I agree with you – I also think whatever age is settled on for gun ownership should also be the voting age. I would also argue for driving age being included but as of now it s a state’s right issue.

Bud Harper
Bud Harper
6 years ago

Why do we continue allowing insurance companies like blue cross blue shield to send insurance checks that belong to providers to their subscribers who are addicts, who then cash the checks and suddenly have money to buy more drugs? BCBS has the audacity to say they are not aware this occurs. This policy is pure insanity.

Vern Doria
Vern Doria
6 years ago

This is really not his job and you can’t legislate away drug addiction. Focus on the problems at hand like illegal immigration, foreign trade, foreign relations, etc. etc. etc. Drug enforcement and abortion and the like is not a job for the president to handle.

Todd Matosic
Todd Matosic
6 years ago

I’m having a very hard time understanding how the president can suggest due process is not important…flabbergasted actually.

quasimodo
quasimodo
6 years ago

the opioid crisis is a scam, the liberals act as if all the people over dosing re doing it on opioid pain killers when that is far from the truth, the truth is 90% of the over doses are from heroin which is muled in on the backs of illegal immigrants. the liberals will not admit that because then they would be admitting that a huge percentage of illegal immigrants are criminals that should never be allowed to cross our border. oregon has roughly 800 opioid deaths in 2015 720 oif them were from herion and the rest was prescription pain killers, and 90% of that was people who illegally obtained prescription pain killers, ie, stolen and were not prescribed to the person who over dosed . very few people who are prescribed pain killers over dose on them, this whole opioid crisis is to draw attention away from the tru problem heroin coming in from south of our border!

Naomi R Bennett
Naomi R Bennett
6 years ago

As someone with an rare incurable disease ( Amyloidosis ) , left with chronic pain by this disease , I would like to know what options we would have ? Doctors have been more than willing to prescribe me ‘ opiods ‘ but none are willing to talk to me about alternatives , ie medicinal marijuana . So what are we going to be left with ? Agonizing pain that affects our lives and relationships …….

manfred dulle
manfred dulle
6 years ago

How does ADMINISTRATION think they have ANY credibility with AMERICANS , when they continue the 60 year long LIES and ASSAULT against Cannabis. To have it still listed as Schedule 1, declaring ZERO medical usage, is an outright lie, and a travesty of justice. Why continue the lies? And the gun thing.. lmao So an 18 yr old is “qualified” to go overseas, shoot women, children, and whoever the US GOV declares an enemy, But that same KID cant come home and buy a beer and a gun? AMERICA, has gone. We no longer have what they built. It is just a matter of time before complete failure. My America treated others the way that they wanted to be treated.. Oh and VOTER tampering.. The Media, and such feels that voters are stupid and gullible enough that FACEBOOK posts and tweets swayed the voters. LMAO.. Oh and by the way,, back to the treat others thing, AMERICA has used lies, GUNS, training,propaganda for 60 plus years to sway votes all across the planet.. treating others the way we want, not the way we should..

John L Papier (40 year retiree from Baltimore City Police)
John L Papier (40 year retiree from Baltimore City Police)
6 years ago

Stop the “pushers”! The most effective and swift way to stop the opioid crisis is Legislation designed to remove the “pusher” from the communities permanently. Otherwise, they return to the community and sell their drugs again due to the vast and easy profits in doing so. Legislation to give LIFE imprisonment UNLESS the “pusher” provides his source of drugs, and then reduced to a stiff sentence. Hard time; no parole.

John L Papier (40 year retiree from Baltimore City Police)
John L Papier (40 year retiree from Baltimore City Police)
6 years ago

First step: stop the sales/distribution quickly with LIFE imprisonment for “pushers”. Cost is overshadowed by cost in not doing so in lives and families destroyed.
Second step: stop the drugs from entering the US at ALL borders including via air, land and sea.
Third step: Rehabilitation of addicts. Very costly and time consuming but necessary.

Joseph
Joseph
6 years ago

I just want to thank the president “Trump” for caring enough to make America Great again.

Todd Jaffe MD, FASAM
Todd Jaffe MD, FASAM
6 years ago

As always, politics before reality. The “Opioid Crisis” is a product of the Government and bad Medical School Priorities. Even more so, until the Government changes medical reimbursement completely, the drive to unethical behavior by doctors will ensure that doctors keep deliberately getting people addicted to opiates. While some of the ideas coming out of the Commission are good, they miss the real causation, and are just as problematic as the drugs themselves.

DrR
DrR
6 years ago

I have to agree with you Michael…

This is a stupid witch hunt that will hurt all patients that need it. We should use the 10th amendment center to nullify these unjust harmful laws. Folks will go more to street or vetanary drugs but stupid poly(tic)icans have no clue. Why would they? Not doctors? Could be a clue. DrR Nevada

William Armstrong (Disabled United States Veteran)
William Armstrong (Disabled United States Veteran)
6 years ago

I am so tired of hearing this term Opioid Crisis when in fact according to the CDC there is no prescription opioid crisis. It’s all in the numbers, 15% of people that take opioids for pain will develop a problem and that’s because they make a conscious decision to not take them as prescribed. However that means that 85% of people do take them correctly and what these politicians and the media are doing is nothing less then a crime against humanity, to let 85% of the people suffering from chronic pain to not be able to get a medication that will enable them to have some quality of life is discrasefull. Please do not get me wrong there is an opioid epidemic with illegal opioids such as Heroin and Fentanal to name just a few but not from prescription medications. The media are the most guilty of this crime buy not separating the two such as legal and illegal but putting them all together and calling them all an opioid epidemic. If you are reading this and suffer from debilitating chronic pain as do I then you know what I’m talking about and you need to contact your politicians and your local news affiliate and let them know that no matter which way you look at it that what there doing is wrong!!! Maybe this way we can stop all this needless suffering.

Walter Jackson Stuart MMC/SS USN ret.
Walter Jackson Stuart MMC/SS USN ret.
6 years ago

lasvegasnow.com go to this web sight to see how stupid the CDC is about the”opioid crisis”.
Go to this story
#OurPain: The other side of opioids.
Watch all the stories then think about how people like myself are not die from pain which causes my blood pressure to sky rocket, my cardiologist has told me my heart can’t take the stress this causes. Also my neurologist tells me I have two Aneurysms in my brain that could rupture due to high blood pressure, which is brought on from aggravation of chronic pain. Which has only been able to be controlled by high dose Morphine, the dosage of morphine it takes to control my pain is well above what they are trying to reduce my prescription to doesn’t relieve my pain enough to allow me normal life functions like just going out to church or to Masonic lodge as examples.

Dano Q
Dano Q
6 years ago

The problem with the Government approach is that it is a one bandage solution that includes everyone including the law abiding people with chronic pain. As a result of the actions already taken, it is getting harder and harder & much more costlier to get the meds needed to combat chronic pain. The government needs to address and control the importation of illegal drugs that is a major cause of the problem. I would guess that the pharmaceutical industry is profiting by the importation of the illegal drugs – maybe even some members of our government. Also, the government must also complete and utilize the National Drug Registry database to show who is over prescribing drugs and over using drugs. These two actions should be a high priority.

Gerald Mann
Gerald Mann
6 years ago

Mr. President , these Opiods you are trying so hard to stop is doing two things , making Heroin, Cocaine, and various pills more valuable to street people , and depriving American Veterans the one thing that helps stop the ill effects or Agent Orange , I am sure you remember that , the chemical that the United States Government swore to the folks serving during the Viet Nam Era. Yes Agent Orange not only effected a lot of us and killed a good meany of us but also effected our future family’s , My great Granddaughter was born with two fingers that were not right , I developed colitis, and all the gristle “buffers between the vertebrae in my spine have dissolved” after years my Dr. Crewe discovered that percotte #5 not only helped with the back pain I suffered so that I could actually get out of bed in the mornings and move around doing what I needed to do, They also helped greatly helped with the dierria that nothing seemed to help with . When the whole war you were conned into joining started was on television saying the war on Opiods are a mistake that is going to cost a lot of lives . It will increase 10 fold the number of heroin dealers and overdoses on our streets as well as making the elderly targets for those wanting to rob them for money to cover their habits. I agree I know I was once able to have a quality of life where I could get up every morning and do the work I needed to supplement my SSI, which is what I live on since the war you people started since the VA that I have a contract that is so pose to take care of my medical needs does not supply opiods which work well and DO NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT THAT WORKS ! Had I known the amount of suffering I am going through , I may have headed to Canada with all the folks now in congress and cushy Political jobs that have money to burn ! I think you are a good man , but you are being misled by people in your administration that are more interested in headlines then our disabled veterans ! They could have headlines covering the Veterans that ended thier suffering because for a long while they could not be seen by the Veterans Administration ! They were suffering , and saw no end in sight , decided they could not take the pain so the choices were , jump off a building , run in front of a truck, or take a bunch of pills and go to sleep forever. These men gave there lives for this country , were lied to and misused and abused . We the survivors are looking to you to stop this misnamed war and take care of our soldiers as promised in our enlistment contracts.

Glenn Anderson
Glenn Anderson
6 years ago

I bet More people die each year from alcohol related car crashes than opioids, and nothing is said

monique
monique
6 years ago

What really gets me are many of these addicts running to file for disability based on their self created addiction. They are sucking the already bankrupt Social Security dry.

Diana
Diana
6 years ago

When Obama started saying we had an opioid epidemic my first thought was what’s in this for Obama?? Obama doesn’t care about us, now we find out muslim doctors in Michigan were caught writing thousands of prescriptions for opioids but they never got them filled but turned them into Medicare/ Medicaid and screwed our country out of millions of dollars, all these fake prescriptions makes it look like opioid prescriptions are getting out of control. Me and my husband have worked our assess off, I’m retired, my husband is still working. We have never not worked, we have never claimed disability or got welfare ever. We both have many joint issues, neck, back, sciatica, hip and shoulder pain. We go to a pain management doctor regularly, if on opoiods they make you come in every month wich cost us $40 an office visit per person. We have received shots in my neck and his back wich cost even more money but have not helped us at all. People like us need opioids to function, we need opioids to get out of bed in the morning and then get us through the day. The last thing we need is for them to be harder to get. We are not addicted and never take more than we need.

Becky Bodnarchuk, RN
Becky Bodnarchuk, RN
6 years ago

As an RN, I’m glad to see responsible listening for understanding on the part of our leaders. I am glad to hear a compassionate, strong promise from our president to address this Very complicated far reaching national catastrophe. AND I hope, URGE the education to extend to the medical and nursing community in the proper use of opioids. They are still very appropriate to use in certain situations. We must be wise, learn from past mistakes for sure. But do not react in fear with stupid knee jerk compassionless pat answers to people with real pain and courage to seek responsible help from a healthy healthcare community.

BOB TUTTLE
BOB TUTTLE
6 years ago

THE GOVERNMENT CAN HELP LEAD THIS NATION IN SUPPLYING ALTERNATIVE COVERAGE FOR SEVERE PAIN SUCH AS ACCUPUNCTURE,VAX-D,CBD OIL,TAI CHI.CHIROPRACTIC ECT IF THEY WANT PEOPLE TO QUIT USING PAIN MEDICATIONS THEY WILL NEED TO PROVIDE SOME ALTERNATIVES SO PEOPLE DO NOT TURN TO BLACK MARKETALTERNATIVES—–THEY CAN STEER THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION !!!!!!!!

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