MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
President Trump signed bipartisan legislation yesterday, toughening criminal penalties for fentanyl traffickers. Drug policy experts are worried about funding for drug treatment and health care, NPR's Brian Mann reports.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: The HOLT Fentanyl Act signed by Trump adds new chemical compounds similar to fentanyl to the list of federally-banned substances and adds to the list of smuggling offenses that trigger lengthy mandatory minimum prison sentences.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So today, on behalf of all Americans who have lost a loved one to opioids, we renew our vow to liberate America from this horrible plague.
MANN: Anne Fundner, whose 15-year-old son died after taking a pill containing fentanyl, spoke at the ceremony, praising Trump's drug policies.
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ANNE FUNDNER: He's closed the borders, sanctioned cartels, imposed tariffs.
MANN: Yesterday's bill signing comes as many drug policy experts worry Trump's focus on criminal penalties will shift focus away from addiction health care programs. The Trump administration has fired addiction researchers, announced plans to dissolve a key federal agency focused on drug use, and slashed funding for Medicaid - the insurance program that pays for most addiction treatment in the U.S. Dr. Benjamin Linas studies addiction at Boston University.
BENJAMIN LINAS: It's going to be less care for people who use drugs, fewer resources, less ability to do the work.
MANN: The Trump administration has also delayed roughly $140 million in grants for a major national overdose reduction program called OD2A. In a statement late yesterday, White House spokesman Kush Desai said OD2A funding is still in the pipeline, but will now be paid out in increments. That means public health programs around the U.S. battling fentanyl won't receive full OD2A grants or commitments before their current federal funding runs out September 1. Brian Mann, NPR News, Washington.
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