Trump declares opioids a public health emergency

WASHINGTON (AP)  In ringing terms, President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency – a step that won’t bring new dollars to fight a scourge that kills nearly 100 Americans a day but will expand access to medical services in rural areas, among other changes.

“This epidemic is a national health emergency,” Trump said in a speech at the White House, where he bemoaned a crisis he said had spared no segment of American society.

“As Americans we cannot allow this to continue,” he said.

Sandy Swenson, mother of an addict, believes this is a necessary step.

“It affects everybody in this country,” Swenson said. “This problem is fast spreading to Southwest Florida and throughout the state.”

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Lee Health has seen more than 700 opioid overdoses this year, while in 2016 there were 470.

Claire Mannion, a recovering alcoholic, joined a group of people on Thursday in Fort Myers for a panel on prevention hosted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

“Every one knows somebody. Every one, some place in their family has it, identified or otherwise,” Mannion said.

Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg also sat on the panel.

“We are in the midst of an unprecedented epidemic where you have 10 people dying every day in Florida from this,” Aronberg said.

Administration officials have made clear that the declaration, which lasts for 90 days and can be renewed, comes with no dedicated dollars. But they said it will allow them to use existing money to better fight the crisis. Officials also said they would urge Congress, during end-of-the year budget negotiations, to add new cash to a public health emergency fund that Congress hasn’t replenished for years.

The Public Health Emergency Fund currently contains just $57,000, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, a negligible amount. Officials would not disclose how much they were seeking.

But critics said that wasn’t enough.

“How can you say it’s an emergency if we’re not going to put a new nickel in it?” said Dr. Joseph Parks, medical director of the nonprofit National Council for Behavioral Health, which advocates for addiction treatment providers. “As far as moving the money around,” he added, “that’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi also was critical, calling the new declaration “words without the money.”

Trump’s audience Thursday included parents who have lost children to drug overdoses, people who have struggled with addiction, and first responders whose have used overdose reversal drugs to save lives.

Trump also spoke personally about his own family’s experience with addiction: His older brother, Fred Jr., died after struggling with alcoholism. It’s the reason the president does not drink.

Trump described his brother as a “great guy, best looking guy,” with a personality “much better than mine”

“But he had a problem, he had a problem with alcohol,” the president said. “I learned because of Fred.”

Trump said he hoped a massive advertising campaign, which sounded reminiscent of the 1980s “Just Say No” campaign, might have a similar impact.

“If we can teach young people, and people generally, not to start, it’s really, really easy not to take ’em,” he said.