AG Sessions calls opioid epidemic a 'winnable war' at JFK Airport

<p>Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the opioid epidemic in the U.S. was a &quot;winnable war&quot; while speaking at John F. Kennedy International Airport Friday.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 27, 2017, 9:21 PM

Updated 2,365 days ago

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the opioid epidemic in the U.S. was a "winnable war" while speaking at John F. Kennedy International Airport Friday. 
His comments come one day after President Donald Trump declared the epidemic a public health emergency. 
Sessions says President Trump's push to separate the Southern border from the United States is a big part of fighting the war on opioids. 
"We know that's where our dangerous drugs are coming from, across the border," says Sessions. 
Drug experts at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) Westchester say the Trump administration addressed the problem, but didn't go far enough. 
Joan Bonsignore fights the national epidemic through education and research. 
Bonsignore says the federal government needs to take immediate action, including more funding for inpatient and outpatient facilities. She says people in need should get help without discrimination or based on their financial situations. 
In Westchester alone, the number of opioid fatalities has increased more than 200 percent from 2010 to 2015.


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