Trump declares US opioid pain drugs national emergency

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Trump declares US opioid pain drugs national emergency

27 August 2017

The crisis over the US addiction to painkillers - opioids - is a national emergency, says President Donald Trump.

"It's an emergency, it's a national emergency. We are going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis," he said.

The number of deaths from the drugs - prescribed to a third of Americans in 2015 - has quadrupled in 20 years.

Declaring a national emergency means the issue can get prioritised funding and resources from Washington.

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