Assignment: Legislation Comparison Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement 2

Population health concern

Opioids abuse/crisis/overdose epidemic

Description of the population health concern and factors contributing to it

Patients undertaking opioid medication or dosage ends up selling them in the markets, thereby increasing the potential of opioid abuse. This opioid crisis has one more harm to the nation than good. According to Soelberg, Cobin, MBe, Raeford (2017), the abuse is among the listed American’s overdose epidemics and has led to more than 33,000 deaths in a year from both prescription and illegal opioids. Similarly, drugabuse.gov (2018) states that daily, 128 individuals in the United States die due to overdosing on opioids. Lack of clear policies and laws to govern the prescription of opioids, smoking, and alcohol abuse behaviors and inequalities in accessing healthcare are risk factors contributing to opioids abuse in the country.

President Name

President Trump

President Obama

President Bush

Administrative agenda focus related to opioids abuse

The administration made a public health emergency declaration in 2017 on opioids abuse. It estimated more than 64,000 opioid-based in 2016 (Conway, 2018).

The regime introduced various strategies for curbing the opioid crisis countrywide. The measures involved a plan of permitting physicians to increase the number of patients receiving a medication used to prevent drug addiction.

The administration emphasized on the Affordable Care Act to help in fighting the abuse of opioids.

The government demanded anyone purchasing anything with pseudoephedrine to give identification (Soelberg, Cobin, MBe, Raeford, 2017).

Also, the government introduce a cap on the quantity a person can buy to decrease opioids abuse.

Financial and other resources allocations dedicated to opioids abuse.

The Administration budgeted $1.8 Billion to fund states to combat the opioid crisis (Murrin, 2020). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded almost $932 million to 50 states as a State Opioid Response grant (Murrin, 2020).

President Obama proposed $1.1 billion in 2017 to fund the opioid and heroin epidemic curbing efforts (D'Rozario, 2020). The funding would address the severe crisis that had ravaged American societies.

Under the proposed budget, Obama designated $920 million for extended access to medical-assisted treatment for opioid addiction to assist victims in recovering (D'Rozario, 2020).

Bush allocated $731 million for the Andean Counter-Drug initiative to fight the crisis (www.state.gov, 2001). The administration set $644 million on the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program (www.state.gov, 2001).

A $180 million dedicated to national youth anti-drug media awareness (www.state.gov, 2001)

How the presidential administrations approached the issue

President Trump’s administration has put in place limitations and restrictions on unlawful drug administration and prescription sources. This approach is likely to make the drug not available in the market or less accessible to users.

Obama’s government formed State Targeted Response (STR) in 2016 to improve the U.S. response to the epidemic (Barlas, 2017). This approach resulted from Congress’ effort to pass the 21st Century Cures Act, which allocated $1 billion to fight the crisis (Barlas, 2017).

The government used aggressive approaches beyond overdose rescues. Coalitions and anti-drug campaigns and initiatives were the main approaches to ending the crisis during President Bush’s period (www.state.gov, 2001).

President Name

President Trump

President Obama

President Bush

Administrative agency most responsible for helping me address opioid abuse

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Trump’s administration in 2018 partnered and advocated for the support of this agency in terms of budget allocation to enable it to combat opioid abuse across the country.

DOJ Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit can be a champion under assistance of the State Targeted Response (STR) to shut down the U.S. largest Darknet distributor of drugs.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

How opioid abuse might get on the agenda for the current and two previous presidents? How does it stay there?

The increased rates of illicit or illegal suppliers supplying deadly drugs in communities are likely to draw the attention of Trump’s administration in the fight against the opioid crisis.

The huge budget allocation to fight the crisis and implementing the Affordable Health Act to make health accessible to all citizens would make the administration pay attention to opioid abuse. The late passage of State Targeted Response by Congress would make the crisis stay unresolved.

The increased demand for pseudoephedrine without proving identification would make opioid abuse a government’s agenda. Also, failure to introduce a cap on the quantity a person can buy would make the issue remain.

Who to choose to be the champion of opioid abuse current and two previous presidents?

Rep. Tom Marino to be a champion for opioid abuse.

Marino is currently Trump’s nominee to become the nation’s next drug czar. He was the chief advocate of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act, thus can become an effective advocator due to his influence in the House (Higham & Berstein, 2017).

Senator Rob Portman to be a champion. Obama’s administration once praised Portman for helping the federal government solve the drug epidemic in our country (Murrin, 2020).

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. President Bush recognized this organization for being a part of America's armies of compassion to fight drug abuse (D'Rozario, 2020).