National emergency declaration will help U.S. fight drug battle

Across the nation, millions of families spent the holiday season mourning the loss of children, parents and other loved ones.

As holiday shopping commenced, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that Americans are dying younger — an unprecedented and frightening trend not seen since the 1960s.

The opioid crisis is the worst drug crisis our country has ever seen. It’s insidious. More than 140 people die every day.

As outlined in President Donald Trump’s 2017 summary released last week, his administration and Congress have already taken collaborative steps to address this crisis. All of the efforts the president has made — from the formation of his Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis to first lady Melania Trump’s dedication to the epidemic to U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s recommendation to strengthen the oversight of these highly addictive drugs — are significant and commendable.

But more needs to be done. There’s one step the president can and should take now: that would kickstart a nationwide recovery from this epidemic. Declare the opioid crisis a national emergency.

A national emergency declaration would offer much-needed aid to struggling states, expand behavioral health programs for those suffering from addiction, and bolster research on substance abuse treatment programs.

The funding and resources enabled through the declaration would go a long way to eradicating one of our nation’s deadliest epidemics. Americans need and deserve this strong, tangible commitment from President Trump and his administration.

TAUNA DONALDSON, VERO BEACH

There’s one step the president can and should take now that would kick-start a nationwide recovery from this epidemic. Declare the opioid crisis a national emergency.