President Donald Trump's focus on America's opioid epidemic is welcome. The awful scourge has doubled U.S. drug overdose fatalities over the past decade, leading to more than 64,000 deaths in 2016.
But the president's speech Monday was only his latest exercise in vague rhetoric on the topic. Instead of specifically discussing how his administration would spend $6 billion that Congress has allocated to fight opioids, Trump offered unrealistic generalities about wiping out all types of addiction, called for TV advertising campaigns that hammer home the danger of opioids, and encouraged prosecutors to seek the death penalty for drug dealers.
In the president's defense, yes, politicians talk in cliches and anti-smoking TV ad campaigns have been effective, and, yes, invoking the death penalty sounds tough even if no laws will change. But what is his overarching strategy to combat opioid abuse?
Some proposals seem obvious, starting with building a federal database that tracks which physicians overprescribe opioids, funding research into and promoting awareness of less dangerous painkillers, and making the powerful anti-overdose drug naloxone much more available to first responders. Some issues are more complicated-for example, given state Medicaid programs' crucial role in helping people fight addictions, the White House push to cut Medicaid funding seems problematic.
But after 14 months as president, Trump needs to get specific. Actions matter much more than words.