Press Release - President Donald J. 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.

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.