Fentanyl needs a public health response, but supports are being cut.
Dear Friend,
President Trump says he wants to protect us from fentanyl. We share that goal. But his plan doesn’t match his words.
His administration just released its drug policy priorities for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
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While they pay lip service to needed health interventions like expanding naloxone, test strips, and medication for opioid use disorder, they are simultaneously trying to gut funding for these same public health approaches every step of the way since taking office.
The Trump administration has gutted SAMHSA—the agency central to addressing the overdose crisis. President Trump is pushing for $2 trillion in federal funding cuts that will take more resources and funding away from effective strategies to keep people safe from fentanyl: treatment, overdose prevention programs, and other lifesaving health services. This funding would be redirected toward immigration enforcement initiatives that we know criminalize and destabilize communities, such as mass deportations.
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The ONDCP plan also mentions that they will partner with “first responders, healthcare providers, [and] community-based organizations...to ensure the health and well-being of all Americans,” but how is that possible while the administration is also cutting the very funding that these providers and groups rely on to continue operating?
Instead of prioritizing public health, the Trump administration is framing drugs as a national security issue and using fear of fentanyl to justify extreme, punitive measures—increasing criminal penalties, imposing costly tariffs, and escalating tensions with other countries.
We know doubling down on these enforcement-heavy drug war tactics will fail, just like it always has. After over 50 years of the drug war, drugs are cheaper, stronger, and more available than ever, while overdose deaths have soared. Escalating conflict with other countries will only bring more violence and death. And punitive measures like jail will only worsen overdose risks, destabilize individuals, and drain resources.
The Trump administration must shift its focus from punishment to health-first solutions by investing in health, treatment, and overdose prevention services that save lives. Here’s a few ways they can do it:
-Preserve critical funding for health and overdose prevention services that are currently at risk to help people who are struggling right now. And reverse course on the layoffs and proposed grant cuts agencies like SAMHSA and CDC.
-Provide support to those recently released from incarceration to help them succeed, many of whom were arrested for drug-related offenses. Americans believe in second chances, so it's important to help those recently released overcome the challenges of having a criminal record and addiction. Meeting their basic needs, such as food, housing, access to addiction services, and employment, is the best way to set them up for success and give them a real chance at stability.
- Promote drug education based on facts instead of fearmongering. The focus should be on helping people understand the harms of drug use, as well as the strategies to stay safe or prevent overdose if they do use.
Americans from all walks of life are deeply concerned about the impact of addiction, overdose, and fentanyl on our loved ones. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is prioritizing punitive approaches while gutting the lifesaving healthcare, treatment, and overdose prevention services that our communities desperately need. But with your support, we’ll continue to hold them accountable and pressure them to do the right thing.
We know the proposed federal funding cuts would be catastrophic for the lifesaving health solutions our communities need.
Send that message to the Trump administration and Congress: tell them to preserve funding for addiction treatment and health services!
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Sincerely,
Hanna Sharif-Kazemi
Policy Manager
Drug Policy Alliance
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