WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will declare the nation’s opioid crisis a public health emergency on Thursday, in a bid to redirect federal resources and loosen regulations to combat widespread abuse, senior administration officials said.
Officials said the move would help fight abuse of prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl by expanding access to treatment and beefing up staff at the Department of Health and Human Services to help states address the epidemic, among other changes.
The move comes in response to an epidemic that has worsened in recent years and especially wreaked havoc in rural areas, but stops short of a national emergency declaration that would have freed up additional funds.
