Health
The Opioid Epidemic and the Future of Public Health Emergencies
On October 26, 2017, after weeks of internal deliberations, President Donald Trump directed Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Eric Hargan to declare a national state of public health emergency (PHE) in response to the escalating opioid epidemic. In so doing, the President classified the opioid epidemic as the deadliest PHE to ever be so designated since the nomenclature originated in 2001.