Liberal Forum

jerrab » 02 Dec 2025, 5:42 pm » wrote: ↑

02 Dec 2025, 5:42 pm

https://drugpolicy.org/resource/federal ... revention/
 So many of us are scared and heartbroken as the overdose crisis—fueled by fentanyl—continues to take lives in the U.S.The Trump administration says they want to fix the problem. But their actions tell a different story.Right now, the Trump administration is continuing massive budget cuts that will make it harder—if not impossible—for many people to get the help they need.Federal funding cuts will gut:

• Addiction treatment.
• Naloxone, the medicine that reverses opioid overdoses.

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• Medications that reduce cravings and ease withdrawal.
• Research into lifesaving approaches to the overdose crisis.
• And even funding that keeps hospitals open.

This means longer wait times, fewer services, and more lives lost. For families already struggling with addiction, it could mean showing up for help—only to find the door shut.The Trump administration and Congress have already slashed:

• At least $345 million from federal programs that fund addiction and overdose prevention services.
• $588 million from drug-related research.
• Nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid—the biggest source of addiction treatment funding in the U.S.

Unfortunately, this is likely an underestimate as the full scope of cuts come to light. And now, the administration wants Congress to slash $26 billion more from overdose prevention and addiction care.Their plan? Restructure the Department of Health & Human Services and create a new agency called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA)—a name that sounds good but could eliminate critical programs like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and portions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which lead our response to addiction and overdose. These cuts are dangerous and will put more lives at risk.T