Trump’s new drug policy mixes ‘harshest’ penalties for dealers and test strips for users White House document stresses enforcement but also supports addiction medication

https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/trump-drug-policy-enforcement-addiction-medication/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9hkv_ODUYX31Z5EtPn48MjCndyt8OqNYCSwwgIjo-ocFyjnKj-RI9d-hxYuTxnyx4Xm2kLJmD_gGCL6jR0owFbV0lh5g&_hsmi=355169589&utm_content=355169589&utm_source=hs_email How the Trump administration will fight drug overdoses In an effort to reduce overdose deaths caused by fentanyl and other illicit substances, the Trump administration plans to “disrupt the supply chain from tooth to tail,” according to a not-yet-public strategy document obtained by STAT. The outline, which consists of just over three pages of text, represents the first formal indication of the drug policy that the new Trump administration intends to pursue. And while it focuses in large part on enforcement, it also devotes substantial attention to drug use prevention, addiction recovery, medication-based treatment, and the opioid overdose antidote naloxone. Notably, the document makes no mention of harm reduction, tactics embraced by the Biden administration that aim to preserve substance users’ well-being while acknowledging they may continue to consume drugs. Read more from STAT’s Lev Facher.