President Trump’s declaration that opioid abuse is a national emergency comes without a lot of new resources for states to deal with the health threat.
Thepresident’s directive will allow federal agencies to hire more public health workers. It also allows grants to help people struggling with opioid addiction, but without allocating money for that purpose. The order falls short of what the president’s own advisory panel called for, and what state health officials were hoping for to address the crisis.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette was at the White House for the presidential announcement. He says the order is just a first step.
“Well, you know, I think there’s more to come on that.”
Opioid overdoses caused more deaths in Michigan last year than car crashes.
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— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
