President Donald Trump did not make any specific announcement of new funding to fight the opioid epidemic during a speech Monday in New Hampshire. Trump did make it clear that he wants to see tougher penalties for those convicted of drug trafficking. “But if we don’t get tough on the drug dealers, we’re wasting our time. Just remember that: We’re wasting our time. And that toughness includes the death penalty,” he said.
Some people on the front lines of the epidemic criticized a lack of specificity in the president’s plan, and a focus on police response over treatment. John Burns runs recovery support groups and community organizations on the New Hampshire Seacoast.
“It’s just shocking that it’s taken him 15 months to roll out any sort of a plan, and now to roll out a plan that’s primarily based in escalating the war on drugs,” said Burns.
In addition to a call for stricter sentences for drug dealers, Trump also criticized so-called sanctuary cities for harboring drug traffickers. The president said he is in favor of funding the production of quote “bad commercials” which are aimed at scaring youth from using drugs.
This report comes from the New England News Collaborative, eight public media companies, including Rhode Island Public Radio, joining together to tell stories of a changing region with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
