WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis in the United States a national public health emergency on Thursday (Friday in Manila) and vowed to step up the fight against an epidemic that kills more than 150 Americans every day. Instead of declaring the opioid epidemic to be a “national emergency,” however, Trump on Thursday announced he was ordering a “public health emergency.”A national emergency gives states access to federal disaster relief funds but senior administration officials said a public health emergency declaration was more appropriate in battling a longterm crisis such as the opioid epidemic. The public health emergency declaration lasts for 90 days and can be renewed repeatedly. Last public health emergency was in 2009In announcing the move, Trump recounted the story of his late older brother Fred, who he said had a “very tough life because of alcohol.”“He would tell me don’t drink,” Trump said. The last time a public health emergency was declared in the United States was in 2009 in response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak.

Source: Manila Times October 27, 2017 07:07 UTC