President Donald Trump on Monday said he will declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency next week, according to a CNN report.
President Trump first pledged to make such a declaration Aug. 10. The Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, which President Trump established, first recommended he make such a declaration in its interim report released July 31.
"We are going to have a major announcement, probably next week, on the drug crisis and on the opioid massive problem and I want to get that absolutely right," said President Trump, according to CNN.
From 2000 to 2015, more than 500,000 people died from drug overdoses. Opioids were involved in most of those deaths, according to CNN.
More articles on opioids:
Trump's drug czar nominee withdraws amid controversy spurred by opioid report
Sen. Claire McCaskill pushes for repeal of 2016 law reducing DEA's ability to investigate opioid distributors
Murkowski-Warren letter urges Trump to move on opioid crisis emergency declaration