President Joe Biden is expecting to announce that he plans to spend $1.5 billion to fight the opioid crisis in the United States. The funds will go towards medications for opioid overdoses, sanctions against traffickers, and increased funding for law enforcement.
“Our nation is facing 108,000 overdose deaths in just 12 months. That’s one life lost every five minutes around the clock,” – Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of National Drug Control Policy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is slated to release new guidance to ease restrictions on naloxone. Some states have very limited access to naloxone. Naloxone is the medication used for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose.