This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/us/politics/trump-opioid-crisis.html

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Trump Declares Commitment to Ending Opioid Crisis ‘Once and for All’ Trump Declares Commitment to Ending Opioid Crisis ‘Once and for All’
(32 minutes later)
ATLANTA — President Trump told a meeting of health care professionals and addiction specialists on Wednesday that he was committed to ending the opioid crisis “once and for all,” adding “that’s happening.” ATLANTA — President Trump told a meeting of health care professionals and addiction specialists on Wednesday that he was committed to ending the opioid crisis “once and for all,” adding, “that’s happening.”
“We will never stop until our job is done, and then maybe we’ll have to find something new. And I hope that’s going to be soon, but we will succeed,” Mr. Trump said at a prescription drug abuse conference in Atlanta. “We will never stop until our job is done, and then maybe we’ll have to find something new,” he said at a drug abuse conference in Atlanta. “And I hope that’s going to be soon, but we will succeed.”
Many of the leading authorities on the opioid crisis have been highly critical of the federal government’s response, starting with the Obama administration, but say there has been some improvement under Mr. Trump.Many of the leading authorities on the opioid crisis have been highly critical of the federal government’s response, starting with the Obama administration, but say there has been some improvement under Mr. Trump.
Melania Trump, the first lady, traveled with her husband to Atlanta and addressed the conference before the president. Mrs. Trump has made opioids one of her signature issues — particular the toll the crisis takes on babies and mothers — and it is the one public policy initiative that she and her husband work on together. Melania Trump, the first lady, traveled with her husband to Atlanta and addressed the conference before the president. She has made opioids one of her signature issues — particularly the toll the crisis takes on babies and mothers — and it is the one public policy initiative that she and her husband work on together.
But some critics say the president has done a better job at framing the problem than dealing with it, as he has on other issues, such as health care and addressing the migrant surge at the southwestern border. But some critics say Mr. Trump has done a better job at framing the problem than dealing with it, as he has other issues, such as health care and addressing the migrant surge at the southwestern border.
Mr. Trump’s remarks soon pivoted to the strength of the economy and the hard work of American Border Patrol agents monitoring the border for illicit drugs. He also praised drug-sniffing dogs. Mr. Trump’s remarks soon pivoted to the strength of the economy and the hard work of Border Patrol agents monitoring the border for illicit drugs. He also praised drug-sniffing dogs.
“We’re going to have a wall. It’s going to be a very powerful wall,” he said, adding that it will have a “tremendous impact” on drugs coming into the country, even though most of the illegal drugs get smuggled through legal ports of entry. “We’re going to have a wall. It’s going to be a very powerful wall,” he said, adding that it would have a “tremendous impact” on drugs coming into the country, even though most of the illegal drugs get smuggled through legal ports of entry.
Overdoses on prescription opioids have claimed more than 200,000 lives in the past 20 years, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with an uptick in recent years in parts of the country where Mr. Trump is popular.Overdoses on prescription opioids have claimed more than 200,000 lives in the past 20 years, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with an uptick in recent years in parts of the country where Mr. Trump is popular.
In October 2017, Mr. Trump declared that the opioid crisis was a public health emergency.In October 2017, Mr. Trump declared that the opioid crisis was a public health emergency.
“When President Trump designated the problem a public health emergency, something bizarre came out of that. He gets up and states the U.S. is dealing with an emergency, then offers no plan for what we are going to do about this emergency,” said Andrew Kolodny, co-director of opioid policy research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. “It’s like pointing to a burning building, saying there is an emergency, then not calling the fire department.” “When President Trump designated the problem a public health emergency, something bizarre came out of that. He gets up and states the U.S. is dealing with an emergency, then offers no plan for what we are going to do about this emergency,” said Andrew Kolodny, a director of opioid policy research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. “It’s like pointing to a burning building, saying there is an emergency, then not calling the fire department.”
According to the White House, by October 2018, the Trump administration had $6 billion in new funding to address the opioid crisis in a two-year period. The administration devoted a website to highlighting the personal heartache of the crisis. According to the White House, by October 2018, the Trump administration had raised $6 billion in new funding to address the opioid crisis. The administration also devoted a website to highlighting the personal heartache of the crisis.
President Barack Obama spoke at the same conference in 2016 and announced plans to expand drug treatment centers and use drugs such as naloxone that reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. At the time, Mr. Obama said, “This is still an area that’s grossly under-resourced.” He requested $1.1 billion in additional funds to fight opioid addiction. In 2016, President Barack Obama spoke at the same conference. He announced plans to expand drug treatment centers and to use drugs like naloxone that reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. At the time, Mr. Obama said, “This is still an area that’s grossly under-resourced.” He requested $1.1 billion in additional funds to fight opioid addiction.
Mr. Kolodny credits Mr. Trump with doing a better job than Mr. Obama in calling attention to the nature of the addiction epidemic, but said that the president has often focused on the wrong dimensions of it, like his call for the execution of drug dealers. Mr. Kolodny credits Mr. Trump with doing a better job than Mr. Obama in calling attention to the nature of the addiction epidemic, but said that Mr. Trump has often focused on the wrong dimensions of it, like his call for the execution of drug dealers.
Mr. Trump’s appearance at the conference comes a day after the Justice Department announced felony drug-trafficking charges against a drug wholesaler, a legal strategy that has until now been reserved for street dealers and cartel bosses. Prosecutors said executives at the company, Rochester Drug Cooperative, ignored signs of illegal distribution and shipped tens of millions of oxycodone pills and fentanyl products to pharmacies they knew were dispensing drugs illegally.Mr. Trump’s appearance at the conference comes a day after the Justice Department announced felony drug-trafficking charges against a drug wholesaler, a legal strategy that has until now been reserved for street dealers and cartel bosses. Prosecutors said executives at the company, Rochester Drug Cooperative, ignored signs of illegal distribution and shipped tens of millions of oxycodone pills and fentanyl products to pharmacies they knew were dispensing drugs illegally.
Mr. Trump also discussed China’s recent decision to ban all of the variants of fentanyl, a promise the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, made to him last year. The drug has spread across the United States in the past five years and led to thousands of overdose deaths. China’s new rule is effective on May 1, and many hope that could plug gaps that have allowed some Chinese manufacturers to produce variations of the drug that were not technically legal. The president also discussed China’s recent decision to ban all of the variants of fentanyl, a promise the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, made to him last year. The drug has spread across the United States in the past five years and led to thousands of overdose deaths. China’s new rule is effective on May 1, and many hope that could plug gaps that have allowed some Chinese manufacturers to produce variations of the drug that were not technically illegal.
“They’ve agreed that they are going to make it a major crime,” Mr. Trump said.“They’ve agreed that they are going to make it a major crime,” Mr. Trump said.
China’s ban, however, still does not cover all of the precursor chemicals that are used to make fentanyl and its analogues. These chemicals are typically sent from China to Mexico and used in composing the fentanyl that is used in the United States. China’s ban, however, still does not cover all of the precursor chemicals that are used to make fentanyl and its analogues. These chemicals are typically sent to Mexico from China and used in composing the fentanyl that is used in the United States.
Fentanyl become the leading cause of overdose deaths in 2016 and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contributed to more than a quarter of the 72,000 deaths the agency counted in 2017. Fentanyl become the leading cause of overdose deaths in 2016 and, according to the C.D.C., contributed to more than a quarter of the 72,000 deaths the agency counted in 2017.