[Pharmwaste] Trump thumbs nose at opioid crisis

[Ed Gottlieb]

This administration says they are serious about tackling the opioid addiction crisis.  Their actions say otherwise.  Two previous examples followed by a shocking new example.

As previously posted (below), they tried to cut the budget to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), who coordinate efforts across many departments, by nearly 95%.  It was only cut 10% after serious backlash.

The White House punted to Congress on opioids funding. Congress doesn’t have a plan.
"Key House leaders are not formally discussing a major bill to accompany the president’s emergency declaration, even as they discuss other priorities for a year-end spending package.
And there’s no pressure coming from the White House: While the administration has pointed to vague, Senate-inspired plans<https://www.statnews.com/2017/06/22/senate-health-care-opioids/>3 to dedicate $45 billion over a decade to the crisis, it has not spelled out where that money would come from or exactly how it would be spent. Nor has the administration put in an explicit request to Congress."
Now, do to staff turnover, a 24 year old Trump campaingn worker, with no relivent experience and a questionable resume, is taking the position of deputy chief of staff. [from STAT, see below]

Now, a 24 year old Trump campaign worker, with no relivent experience and a questionable resume, is being promoted to deputy chief of staff for the ONDCP!  The administrations message couldn't be clearer!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/meet-the-24-year-old-trump-campaign-worker-appointed-to-help-lead-the-governments-drug-policy-office/2018/01/13/abdada34-f64e-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.e727b5473221&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1


Ed Gottlieb
Chair, Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal
Board Member, New York Product Stewardship Council
Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator
Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
525 3rd Street
Ithaca, NY  14850
(607) 273-8381
fax: (607) 273-8433

May 10,2017
The Trump Administration wants to cut the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) [CBS story]<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-president-trump-slash-the-office-of-drug-policy/> budget by nearly 95 percent.  The ONDCP's website is no longer available.

http://www.npr.org/2017/05/05/527076657/leaked-document-indicates-big-proposed-cuts-to-drug-czars-office
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2017-05-05/budget-document-seeks-almost-95-percent-cut-for-drug-czar-office
More general story on cuts, including ONDCP:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/us/politics/trump-program-eliminations-white-house-budget-office.html


 STAT expert panel estimate<https://www.statnews.com/2017/06/27/opioid-deaths-forecast/>: Opioids could kill nearly half a million people across America over the next decade as the crisis of addiction and overdose accelerates."


The administration is all talk, no action:
The White House punted to Congress on opioids funding. Congress doesn’t have a plan
"Key House leaders are not formally discussing a major bill to accompany the president’s emergency declaration, even as they discuss other priorities for a year-end spending package.
And there’s no pressure coming from the White House: While the administration has pointed to vague, Senate-inspired plans<https://www.statnews.com/2017/06/22/senate-health-care-opioids/>3 to dedicate $45 billion over a decade to the crisis, it has not spelled out where that money would come from or exactly how it would be spent. Nor has the administration put in an explicit request to Congress."
https://www.statnews.com/2017/11/09/opioid-funding-congress/?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&utm_campaign=2fd4239d0c-Daily_Recap&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-2fd4239d0c-149620549
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