The opioid epidemic began to take root more than a decade ago during the second term of President Barack Obama. But the response to the crisis largely fell on the shoulders of President Donald Trump, who responded swiftly to save lives.
During his first term in office, Trump reduced the overprescribing of opioid painkillers, intercepted enormous amounts of fentanyl and other illicit drugs being smuggled across our southern border, and signed the Support for Patients and Communities Act, which provided training for lifesaving first responders in the administration of naloxone. As a result of these actions, in 2018, we saw the first decline in drug deaths in over 20 years.
During the pandemic, drug and alcohol abuse skyrocketed, and they still remain high. But earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a historic 27% drop in drug overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024. This is a record-setting decline from the record-high death tolls that resulted from COVID-19 lockdowns and former President Joe Biden’s open border policies. These recent gains are a result of a multifaceted approach involving first responders, doctors, nurses, educators, parents, and government — an approach that addresses prevention, lifesaving countermeasures, and recovery. Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas.
An estimated 80,000 Americans died from a drug overdose last year, more than the number of Americans who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. Last year’s overdose death toll is still larger than the overdose death toll that existed before the pandemic. In each of the previous three years, we lost over 100,000 people due to drug overdoses. Our society cannot continue to sustain these losses. This is a national security vulnerability.
On Sept. 11, 2001, over 3,000 people were killed on American soil because of a terrorist attack. In response, we went to war for 20 years. We are in a war today to save far more lives than ever before. Fortunately, Trump and his administration place a high value on human life and good health.
As much as Trump’s aggressive preventive measures have proven helpful, there will always be the need for continued action when overdoses occur and damage has been done. As a combat surgeon, I know that a first responder’s goal, first and foremost, is to keep the patient alive. Recovery and rehabilitation are not possible without it. Naloxone keeps patients alive by blocking the effects of opioids with a success rate of over 90%, according to several studies.
It is believed that the decrease in deaths from overdose was in large part the result of naloxone use. As many doses of naloxone are administered outside of the medical community, pure data on lives spared by naloxone are difficult to capture completely.
Naloxone is only one part in the big picture toward a healthier, drug-free America, but it is vital. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., himself a recovered addict, has spoken eloquently on the importance of preventing addiction through faith and community. I agree wholeheartedly with Kennedy, yet no recovery is possible if one does not survive an overdose.
As a recently retired member of Congress, I am all too familiar with the often tedious, yet constitutionally required, process to approve spending bills. Presidential budgets are written as a request or wish list. It is the perfect opportunity for the president to drive important conversations with Congress and the people.
While the president’s budget may suggest cuts to several substance abuse and prevention programs, it has been reported that “no final decisions have been made … including potential cuts to the naloxone program.” This is good news.
US OVERDOSE DEATHS DROPPED BY 27% IN 2024
Trump and Congress have an opportunity to continue the great work that was started during Trump’s first term. We can continue to prioritize reducing drug use, reducing drug trafficking by cartels, and ultimately reducing overdose deaths.
As a fiscal conservative, I fully agree with Trump that we need to cut federal spending. Spending is best when there is a return on investment. Saving lives has a great return. As Congress works to pass a final spending bill, it can make sure that first responders have what they need to continue the work of saving lives.
Brad Wenstrup represented Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2025 and was co-chairman of the GOP Doctors Caucus. He is a physician and an Army Iraq War veteran.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
