WASHINGTON – Hundreds of addiction and public health experts are urging Congress to reject proposed federal budget cuts they say could reverse recent progress in reducing drug overdose deaths.
In a letter delivered this week to congressional leaders from both parties, experts warned that proposed funding reductions would have “dire consequences” for programs that prevent drug- and alcohol-related deaths. The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget from the Trump administration includes deep cuts across several public health agencies: over $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a 16% reduction), $3.6 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (47%), and $1.7 billion from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
“The reduction in overdose deaths we witnessed in 2024 was the result of sustained and increasing financial investment,” the letter states. “Now is not the time to reduce these investments.”
As Emily’s Hope reported this week, the United States experienced a historic 27% drop in overdose deaths in 2024, according to new CDC data. Public health officials credited the decline to expanded access to naloxone — the opioid overdose reversal drug — changes in drug use behavior, and the impact of opioid settlement funds now reaching communities.
President Trump campaigned, in part, on a promise to “end” the fentanyl crisis, which has fueled a deadly surge in overdoses over the past decade. As president, he has designated the opioid overdose crisis a national public health emergency.
