Obama puts focus on opioid problem

Associated Press

ATLANTA

The trajectory of opioid deaths in the United States is trending in the wrong direction and should be atop the federal government’s radar screen along with the threat of terrorism, responding to natural disasters and promoting a strong economy, President Barack Obama said Tuesday.

Obama said more people are being killed from opioid overdoses than from traffic accidents. “I think the public doesn’t fully appreciate yet the scope of the problem,” Obama told about 2,000 people attending the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit.

Obama’s appearance at the conference came as his administration issued proposed regulations and announced new funding for states to purchase and distribute the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, and to train first responders and others on its use. The actions also coincide with a commitment from 60 medical schools to heighten training for prescribing opioids.

Opioids are highly addictive drugs that include both prescription painkillers such as codeine and morphine, as well as illegal narcotics, primarily heroin. Deaths linked to opioids soared to more than 29,000 in 2014, the highest number on record.

Congress is attempting to allocate more resources to the problem, one area where bipartisan agreement may be reached during the election year. But the White House is critical of a Senate bill it says lacks critical funding. Obama is seeking $1.1 billion in new money to expand treatment for opioid addiction, which is about triple current levels.

“The problem we have right now is treatment is underfunded,” Obama said.