President Donald Trump declared a national public emergency to tackle the US opioid crisis. Carlos Barria/ Reuters
President Donald Trump declared a national public emergency to tackle the US opioid crisis. Carlos Barria/ Reuters

Trump declares opioid crisis a national public health emergency



US president Donald Trump declared a national public health emergency on Thursday to tackle the opioid epidemic that is gripping the country.

In 2016 more than 64,000 people in the US died from drug overdoses, many of which were linked to opioid misuse.

Despite indicating he would, Mr Trump stopped short of declaring a national emergency on opioids, which would have meant federal funding was allocated directly to address the problem.

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However, the public health emergency will free up some funds as well as ease laws and regulations.

In a speech at the White House attended by families affected by drug abuse, Mr Trump said opioid addiction affected all parts of American society, while vowing to put a stop to the epidemic.

“No part of our society — not young or old, rich or poor, urban or rural — has been spared this plague of drug addiction and this horrible, horrible situation that’s taken place with opioids,” he said.

“This epidemic is a national health emergency.”

Mr Trump added: “We cannot allow this to continue. It is time to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction.”

Going off script, the president told the story of his older brother Fred Trump Jr, who suffered with alcoholism and died in 1981 at the age of 43.

“He'd tell me don't drink,” Mr Trump said. “He was a strong guy but it was a tough, tough thing that he was going through. But I learned because of Fred.”

In the wide-ranging speech given in the East Room of the White House, the president repeated his election promise of building a wall with Mexico, which he said would cut off the supply of narcotics to the country.

“An astonishing 90 per cent of the heroin in America comes from south of the border where we will be building a wall,” Mr Trump said.

The Apprentice star spoke about the dangerous effects of the drug fentanyl, an opioid more than 50 to 100 times powerful than morphine. He said he would discuss stopping the flow of the drug from China with Chinese President Xi Jinping, when he visits Asia next month.

The president said the US Postal Service and Department of Homeland Security were “strengthening the inspection of packages coming into our country to hold back the flood of cheap and deadly fentanyl, a synthetic opioid manufactured in China.”

However, many Democratic lawmakers have been critical of the declaration because it did not commit any additional funds to the cause.

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy said in a statement: “The president’s talk is just that – talk. There is no action or new funding behind the president’s empty words to address this crisis. This is not acceptable.”

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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
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On sale: Later this year
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)

Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)

The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

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