Clinton proposes US$7.5 billion US fund to fight addiction
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would launch a US$10 billion initiative to tackle drug and alcohol addiction, a problem she speaks of often on the campaign trail and which affects 23 million Americans.
Her plan would include a new US$7.5 billion federal fund to support states that launch addiction-related prevention, treatment, medical response, prescription and criminal justice initiatives.
Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, announced her plan in the Manchester Union Leader, a New Hampshire newspaper. She said at her first campaign stop in the state, a retired doctor told her the biggest problem facing the country was drug addiction.
Her vision, as outlined by her campaign, would emphasize better training for healthcare workers to recognize substance abuse, and having all first responders carry naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Clinton would direct the attorney general to issue new guidance related to nonviolent drug offenders that emphasizes treatment over incarceration, generating savings that could be used to partially fund the US$10 billion initiative, her campaign said.