The opioid epidemic, now a public health emergency

The White House's Commission responsible for looking into the opioid crisis and which is headed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suggested to Donal Trump that "Our citizens are dying. We must act boldly to stop it ...  The first and most urgent recommendation of this Commission is direct and completely within your control. Declare a national emergency." According to Dan Merica (CNN), "It is not often that a public health emergency is declared for something other than a natural disaster. The Department of Health and Human Services declared one in Puerto Rico last year after more than 10,000 Zika cases were reported there. Before that, the last emergency declaration, unrelated to a natural disaster, was during the 2009-10 flu season, when there was widespread concern over a potential pandemic."
Is it too little too late? What can we expect from the measure? Many States have now legalized the use of Marijuana, upon realizing that probaly the best way to fight Marijuana use is to legalize it. Is addiction to opioid the same? What will likely happen in the short and the long terms?

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