Sympathetic Tone Of Trump’s Opioid Panel Contrasts With ‘Ruthless’ Pledge From Attorney General
The Trump administration talks, at the same time, of an empathetic treatment model as well as more extreme criminal prosecutions -- approaches that offer contrary messages on how the president plans to deal with the drug crisis sweeping the country.
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump’s Drug Policy Takes Shape, With Split Personality
As the Trump administration begins to shape its policy on drugs, tension is growing between a treatment-focused approach, embodied in a new commission on opioids headed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the aggressive prosecution of drug crimes promised by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. President Donald Trump signaled support for a less-punitive strategy toward opioids by assigning the task force to Mr. Christie, who has made drug rehabilitation a centerpiece of his governorship. ... That sympathetic tone contrasted with Mr. Trump’s vow last month to a police group to be “ruthless’’ in stopping the drug trade and Mr. Sessions’ pledge to “hammer” drug dealers. (Reinhard, 3/31)
Modern Healthcare:
Trump Opioid Commission Leaves Out Key Stakeholder
Experts keeping their eyes on ways to curb the number of overdoses in the U.S. say there's one very important person missing in President Donald Trump's commission—the nominee for top federal regulator of prescription drugs. ... Trump on Wednesday introduced a high-profile group that is tasked with reporting on ideas and progress towards curbing the nation's opioid epidemic. It includes New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie—who has led several statewide efforts to address heroin addiction—U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Defense Secretary James Mattis and HHS Secretary Tom Price. (Johnson, 3/30)
Health News Florida:
President Trump Appoints Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi To Drug Panel
President Trump has appointed Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to a commission to help fight opioid abuse on a national level. While she won’t be leading the panel, Bondi will be a member of the President’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission. (Cordner, 3/29)
Meanwhile, the epidemic continues to pay off for businesses —
Bloomberg:
Private Equity Sees No End To The Drug And Mental-Health Gold Rush
Funding for the treatment of the U.S. opioid addiction epidemic would have been a top casualty of Republican’s failed Obamacare replacement plan: Mental health advocates warned of it. So did Democrats, and some of the Republicans who eventually helped kill their party’s repeal-and-replace bill. Private equity didn’t believe a word of it. After years of investment in substance abuse treatment under the Affordable Care Act, equity firms...watched Republican efforts to dismantle Obamacare with little worry that it would curtail what had become a mental health gold rush in the years since the health law passed. (Newkirk, 3/30)