The opioid epidemic is now a national public health emergency. President Trump’s declaration on Oct. 26, under the Public Health Service Act, allows federal agencies to devote more of their grant money to the opioid crisis.
While the president also called for a massive advertising campaign in the style of the “Just Say No” campaign, he did not announce any new funding for those on the frontlines, leaving entities such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with little room to move.
The ball is now in the state governments’ courts to implement some of the solutions that have already been recommended by the CDC and HHS.
