President Trump announced his appointees to the White House commission charged with tackling the opioid epidemic, CNN reports. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will lead the group.
Other members of the bipartisan commission include Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina, former Representative Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, and Bertha K. Madras, a former deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
Although Trump promised on the campaign trail to fight opioid abuse, activists question this pledge in light of news that the White House is proposing to cut the ONDCP budget by 94 percent.
Heroin, Fentanyl & Other Opioids: From Understanding to Action
Heroin and other opioids are ravaging communities across America. Deaths from heroin increased 328% between 2010 and 2015, and drug deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are now seeing a sharp rise as well. More Americans die from drug overdoses than in car crashes, and this increasing trend is driven by Rx painkillers.
Published
May 2017