Health experts say Trump's opioid response relies on magical thinking

While some welcomed the president’s declaration of a public health emergency to fight the drug crisis others warned it would mean little without extra funding

Jessica Glenza in New York
Friday 27 October 2017 11.00 BST

When Donald Trump directed his administration to declare America’s opioid overdose crisis a public health emergency, Republicans swiftly praised his “bold national leadership”.

But with no new funding, many public health experts and state officials said it was “magical thinking” to imagine that the declaration would stem the tide of opioid overdoses that has already killed 183,000.

“We need more resources,” said Dr Jay Butler, chief medical officer for the state of Alaska, who was at the White House for Trump’s announcement. Butler said the president’s speech sounded “a call for an opioids moonshot, but in order to focus resources, you need resources”.

Announcing the measure, Trump called on Americans to come together as a national family, and laid out a sweeping call for reform, though it mostly lacked specifics.

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