Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), co-chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today released the following statement on the executive order signed by President Trump to establish a commission dedicated to combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis:

“There is no doubt in my mind that we must do everything we can to tackle the very real crisis of opioid and drug addiction that currently grips our country. The establishment of this commission is a positive and necessary step in the right direction.

“Every 16 minutes, an American dies from opioid-related overdoses. In 2015 alone, we lost more than 33,000 friends, neighbors and family members to opioid overdoses. The carnage needs to stop.

“As this commission enters its planning stages, it is my hope that it is strong, effective and does not duplicate the efforts of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which already coordinates our nation’s drug control strategy, or of the Surgeon General’s office, which provided recommendations for how to better address addiction. I also urge the commission to take a multi-faceted approach to tackling drug overdoses—focusing solely on opioids would be shortsighted. Dangerous drugs like methamphetamines, cocaine and fentanyl also pose ongoing challenges for law enforcement and first responders alike.

“Failure to take immediate action to end the opioid scourge would intensify a public health crisis that costs our nation an estimated $193 billion annually. More importantly, it will also result in additional and preventable deaths.”

###