For Opioid Awareness Week, administration officials met with those who've lost family members to addiction.
Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), looked to progress he's made while serving under Biden, including increasing access to the opioid reversal drug naloxone and rolling out drug-detection technology at U.S. borders.
"The progress that has been made requires continuous commitment, a commitment of will, a commitment of resources and a commitment to following evidence-based practices in to continue to make this progress," Gupta told The Hill.
"We have no time to waste," he added. "Anything different will not be able to prevent more deaths from happening."
Vice President Harris has not spoken much on the opioid epidemic while on the campaign trail, but she has taken part in the Biden administration's efforts to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into the country, meeting with numerous state attorneys general last year to discuss the crisis.
Former President Trump has proposed imposing "a total naval embargo on cartels" and facilitating easier access to recovery programs.
Gupta is also looking to ensure the continued work of his office, calling on Congress to reauthorize the ONDCP.
"Our reauthorization is really critically important to continue to send a message to communities all across the country that they will continue to get the support of funding from members of Congress for their communities," Gupta told Roll Call this week.
The ONDCP was last reauthorized in 2018 through the SUPPORT Act. The bill authorized the office through Fiscal Year 2023.
No comments:
Post a Comment