While the Trump administration has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and public health experts for its response to the opioid crisis, voters are split on whether federal efforts to address the crisis have been sufficient, according to a poll conducted by Politico and Morning Consult.
The poll took place from Feb. 1-4 and involved 1,985 registered voters. When asked about the Trump administration's public health emergency declaration for the opioid epidemic, 38 percent of voters said the response was sufficient, 36 percent said it was insufficient and 26 percent said they didn't know or didn't have an opinion.
The rift holds up across party lines. Among Republican voters, 40 percent said the response was sufficient, 35 percent said it was insufficient and 25 percent said they didn't know. Among Democrats, 39 percent said the response was sufficient, 40 percent said it was insufficient and 21 percent said they didn't know. Among independent voters, 35 percent said the response was sufficient, 33 percent said it was insufficient and 32 percent said they didn't know or didn't have an opinion.
While the public health emergency declaration allows federal agencies to expedite the hiring process for addiction specialists and redirect existing funds to respond to the crisis, it does not provide new funding to address the issue.
Declaring the opioid epidemic a public health emergency and not providing new money to address the crisis is akin to "pointing at a burning building and then not calling the fire department and watching it burn to the ground," Andrew Kolodny, MD, co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University's Heller School in Waltham, Mass., told .
When asked to respond to criticism regarding the president's response to the crisis, Hogan Gidley, White House deputy press secretary, told Morning Consult the declaration of public health emergency signifies President Donald Trump's prioritization of the issue.
As for new funding, Mr. Gidley said the administration will "continue discussions with Congress on the appropriate level of funding needed to address this crisis," according to Morning Consult.
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