Trump Stops Short Of Declaring Opioid Crisis A National Emergency — Which Means No Extra Funds

The New York Times: Trump Declares Opioid Crisis A ‘Health Emergency’ But Requests No Funds
President Trump on Thursday directed the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency, taking long-anticipated action to address a rapidly escalating epidemic of drug use. But even as he vowed to alleviate the scourge of drug addiction and abuse that has swept the country — a priority that resonated strongly with the working-class voters who supported his presidential campaign — Mr. Trump fell short of fulfilling his promise in August to declare “a national emergency” on opioids, which would have prompted the rapid allocation of federal funding to address the issue. (Davis, 10/26)

Los Angeles Times: Trump Calls Opioid Epidemic An 'Emergency' But Offers Few New Resources To Combat It
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, surrounded by the families of Americans touched by the epidemic, Trump insisted he is committed to an unprecedented new effort to take on the spread of opiates, including heroin, prescription painkillers and dangerous synthetic drugs such as fentanyl. (Levey, 10/26)

The Washington Post: Trump Declares Opioid Crisis A Public Health Emergency; Critics Say Plan Falls Short
With Trump’s declaration, the federal government will waive some regulations, give states more flexibility in how they use federal funds and expand the use of telemedicine treatment, according to senior administration officials. But the president stopped short of declaring a more sweeping national state of emergency that would have given states access to funding from the federal Disaster Relief Fund, as they would after a tornado or hurricane. Officials who briefed reporters said that such an emergency declaration would not be a good fit for a longtime crisis and would not offer authorities that the government doesn’t already have. (Wagner, Bernstein and Johnson, 10/26)

The Associated Press: Trump Calls For Liberation From 'Scourge' Of Drug Addiction
Trump's declaration, which will be effective for 90 days and can be renewed, will allow the government to redirect resources in various ways and to expand access to medical services in rural areas. But it won't bring new dollars to fight a scourge that kills nearly 100 people a day. "As Americans we cannot allow this to continue," Trump said in a speech Thursday at the White House, where he bemoaned an epidemic he said had spared no segment of society, affecting rural areas and cities, rich and poor and both the elderly and newborns. (10/27)

The Washington Post: How The Government Can Fight The Opioid Epidemic Under A Public Health Emergency
At this point in the nation's opioid epidemic, fighting back is mainly about quickly making money available: Money for treatment. Money for the overdose antidote naloxone. Money to hire more people to help overwhelmed cities and states battle a crisis that killed an estimated 64,000 Americans last year. President Trump did not identify any big new sources of funding when he declared the situation a  public health emergency Thursday afternoon. But his official pronouncement will help the government speed any available resources to communities, where the epidemic is playing out on the streets every day, and will eliminate some obstacles that stand in the way of providing assistance. (Bernstein, 10/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Opioid-Crisis Declaration Draws Praise, Criticism
Officials and activists on the front lines of the opioid crisis split Thursday over President Donald Trump’s designation of a “public health emergency,” with some praising it as a necessary move and others saying more money is needed. Ryan Hampton, a national recovery activist in Pasadena, Calif., who is personally recovering a struggle with opioids, called the president’s announcement “a welcome step in the right direction” but also said the president’s words require funding support. “The big, open-ended question, though, is will there be follow through, will there be action?” Mr. Hampton said. (Kamp and Mahtani, 10/26)

Politico: Trump's Call To Bolster Virtual Opioid Treatment Lacks Muscle, Critics Say
The first item in Trump’s public health emergency declaration was to use telemedicine — video and phone-enabled communications with doctors, pharmacists and nurses — to remotely prescribe drugs for substance abuse and mental illness. Under a 2008 law, doctors have been barred from prescribing anti-addiction medications to patients they haven’t seen in person first. The law created a barrier for addicts in rural, doctor-starved places that have been hit hardest by the crisis — and that voted for Trump in droves last November. (Pittman, 10/26)

The Hill: Advocates Pan Trump Effort On Opioid Crisis 
Advocates for greater opioid treatment panned the president’s long-awaited declaration of a public health emergency, saying they need dollars to fight the epidemic killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. President Trump’s declaration, promised in August, doesn't include millions in new federal funding. Nor did it ask Congress to appropriate any new money, and Democrats are calling for tens of billions in more funds. (Roubein and Weixel, 10/26)

NPR: 'They Need Help': Trump Faces Backlash For Slow Response To Opioid Crisis
The president's announcement gives states more leeway to spend federal money in response to the rise in drug overdose deaths. It also broadens the reach of medical services in rural areas. "I think declaring an emergency is important, but it is not going to make much difference if we don't actually put resources towards this public health crisis," says Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. (Raphelson, 10/26)

NPR: Trump Administration Declares Opioid Crisis A Public Health Emergency
Dr. Andrew Kolodny, co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaboration at Brandeis University's Heller School, calls the announcement "very disappointing." Without funding for new addiction treatment, he says, declaring a public health emergency isn't enough. "This is not a plan," he says. "The administration still has no plan" for dealing with opioids, he says. (Allen and Kelly, 10/26)

Stat: Naloxone Is Missing Puzzle Piece In Trump Opioid Plan, Advocates Say
[Trump's] announcement included nothing about access to naloxone, the overdose-reversal drug that first responders across the country have credited with saving innumerable lives. “I think this was a missed opportunity,” said Regina LaBelle, the chief of staff for the Office of National Drug Control Policy under former president Barack Obama. “They could have purchased naloxone and distributed it to hard-hit areas, to local governments as well as to community groups.” (Facher and Joseph, 10/26)