Trump’s lessons from alcoholic brother
Donald Trump spoke of his brother’s battle with addiction as he labelled America’s opioid epidemic a “public health emergency”. The president gave officials new powers to tackle the nation’s drug crisis and pledged to drive down the number of overdose deaths. Mr Trump also opened up about he was “guided” by his brother, Fred, an alcoholic, and warned of the “tough life” caused by addiction.
DONALD TRUMP last night labelled America’s opioid epidemic a “public health emergency”, giving officials new powers to tackle the crisis but not announcing any extra money.
The US president said the country’s addiction problem was a “national shame” and a “human tragedy”, pledging to drive down the number of deaths each year.
The move will allow funding to be redirected into tackling the crisis and expand the ability for medical advice to be given over the phone to rural areas.
It is the first time the label has been used since 2009 when it was adopted over the H1N1 influenza virus, otherwise known as swine flu.
However, Mr Trump fell short of announcing a full “national emergency” – as he had previously suggested – which would have meant new central funding.
Speaking in the White House, Mr Trump opened up about his older brother Fred’s alcoholism and warnings about the impact of drinking.
He also promised to bring up the importation of “truly evil” drugs from Asia with the Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, during a visit next month.
Some 64,000 Americans were killed by overdoses last year – the equivalent of 175 a day. Mr Trump called the opioids epidemic the “worst drug crisis in US history”. “Nobody has seen anything like what’s going on now. As Americans we cannot allow this to continue.
“We must now liberate our communities of the scourge of drug addiction. We can be the generation that ends the opioid drug addiction. We can do it.”
The public health emergency, which lasts for 90 days but can be kept rolling, will allow government departments to shift funding into tackling opioids abuse. It will also expand access to telemedicine services – over the phone medical advice – and speed up recruitment at the department of health and human services.
Mr Trump credited his alcoholic brother with convincing him never to drink as he announced a new advertising drive aimed at children.
“I had a brother Fred, great guy … But he had a problem with alcohol and he would tell me ‘don’t drink, don’t drink’,” Mr Trump said. “He would say it over and over and over again. And to this day I have never had a drink. And I have no longing for it, no interest in it. And I have never had a cigarette.”
Mr Trump added: “He really helped me. I had someone who guided me. And he had a very tough life because of alcohol, believe me.” However, there was criticism of Mr Trump’s failure to announce billions of dollars in new funding, as some congressmen have been calling for in recent months.
Dr Joseph Parks, medical director of the non-profit National Council for Behavioural Health, said: “How can you say it’s an emergency if we’re not going to put a new nickel in it? As far as moving the money around, that’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul.”