President Obama said Tuesday he hopes that by talking about opioid addiction in the United States, there will be a "greater spotlight to help solve this problem."
Obama attended the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit Tuesday in Atlanta, and said addiction has long been viewed as "a character flaw, and 'not our problem.' But the way we have looked at cigarettes as a public health problem, and traffic fatalities as a public health problem, if you take the same approach here, it can make a difference." Instead of looking at drug addiction "through the lens of criminal justice," it's time to "see it as a public health problem," he said, and in order to reduce demand, treatment has to be provided.
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