Renew Opioid Declaration

Now is the time to urge Congress and the White House to renew the declaration of the opioid crisis as a public health emergency. In October of 2017, President Trump declared a 90-day public health emergency as an effort to confront the ongoing opioid crisis. That declaration ends on January 23, 2018. Following the announcement, several public health agencies and state officials have seen little to no initiative from the federal government. The urgency in renewing the declaration can be illustrated through the death toll alone. The Center for Disease Control estimates opioids—which include, prescription painkillers (i.e. oxycodone), synthetic opiates (i.e. fentanyl), and heroin—claim the lives of 91 Americans every day.