Ending America’s Addiction Crisis Will Take More Than Words

In 2015, Mr. Trump said he was “going to take care of everybody,” in reference to universal health care. He went on to say we are going to “save so much money on the other side.” If he was talking about the drug crisis, he was dead-on. Addiction is expensive, and it affects everyone. Currently, the United States spends $484 billion a year on this health issue, more than cancer and diabetes combined. Addiction increases spending in law enforcement. At home, it means lost productivity on the job, contributes to unemployment, and burdens the child welfare system. Crime, hospitalizations, and health care are just some of the costs associated with it. Collaboration between sectors of government that address the negative effects of addiction – including Homeland Security and our intelligence agencies, international relations entities, and the Departments of Education, Labor, Justice, and Health and Human Services – is needed to stop this epidemic.