Is the opioid drug problem an epidemic?

Words matter. In the case of the raging spread of opioid addiction and what that social problem is called, words matter enormously.

On average, more than 90 people in our country die from opioid overdose each day. President Trump has called this a “health emergency” which shows that he recognizes a problem exists and that action is called for. But the primary action he extols is advertising – “really tough, really big, really great advertising.” 

Trump also praises abstinence, the idea that we can teach people not to take drugs. Apparently, he is ignoring the fact that many instances of opioid addiction begin when doctors prescribe painkillers to patients in distress. In those situations “just saying no” is not medically recommended. Experts say that for some people only a week of taking addictive painkillers as prescribed can alter the brain’s chemistry and make a patient susceptible to addiction. Fentanyl, a prescription drug for severe pain is at least 50 times more addictive than heroin, and is the leading cause of death from opioid addiction.

The President’s words mean that no additional Federal funds are being allocated to the opioid crisis. The President requested no additional Congressional appropriations to enable increased medical treatments, clinics, training or access to naloxone, the antidote for overdoses. The President has not named anyone to be responsible for heading the effort to quell the crisis.

Either the Stafford Act or the Public Health Service Act need to give the president ways to allocate additional funds. Declaring the opioid crisis a “national emergency” would have freed up the possibility of greater funding. 

During his campaign for the presidency, Trump was very clear. He said if elected he would stop the opioid crisis. It was one of many promises he made. But so far, all he’s done is tap the brakes lightly. The public deserves and needs more than an advertising campaign.