President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law a bill—passed by a 98-1 vote in the Senate and a 393-8 vote in the House—aimed at making medical treatment for opioid addiction more widely available while also cracking down on illicit drugs being sent through the mail.
President Trump Signs into Law New Legislation Addressing Opioid Crisis
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law a bill—passed by a 98-1 vote in the Senate and a 393-8 vote in the House—aimed at making medical treatment for opioid addiction more widely available while also cracking down on illicit drugs being sent through the mail.
October 25, 2018
1 min to read
"Together we are going to end the scourge of drug addiction in America," Trump said during the signing event at the White House. "We are going to end it or we are going to at least make an extremely big dent in this terrible, terrible problem."
Importantly, the bill—dubbed the Support for Patients and Communities Act—also mandates that there be training and resources "for first responders and members of other key community sectors on safety around fentanyl and other dangerous illicit drugs to protect themselves from exposure to fentanyl and respond appropriately when exposure occurs."
According to Fox News, 48,000 overdose deaths in 2016 involved opioids.
More Patrol
Top 10 POLICE Videos of 2025
What were the top videos published by POLICE in 2025? Many covered tactics and officer safety, while others came from booth visits at IACP in Denver, Colorado. In case you missed these, here are the top 10 videos.
Read More →
Flock Safety and Coreforce Partner to Enhance Real-Time Awareness and Operational Efficiency for Law Enforcement
A new integration partnership will enable Flock Safety hotlist alerts and license plate recognition (LPR) searches directly in Coreforce’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) and Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) platform.
Read More →
Ballistic Armor Co. Secures Strategic Investment to Expand U.S. Production Capabilities
Ballistic Armor Co. secured a new commitment that will accelerate its multi-year transition from a third-party tactical equipment retailer to a premium innovator and U.S. manufacturer of advanced protective systems.
Read More →
Police & Fire Championships Expands Athlete Eligibility
The US Police & Fire Championships is now open to all employees – sworn, civilian, administrative, technical, and support staff – who work directly for an eligible public safety agency.
Read More →
Tips for Watching the Hands
How can officers better “watch the hands”? Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association, shares some tips.
Read More →
10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops
What steps can officers take to stay safer during felony or high-risk vehicle stops? Here are 10 tips from Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association.
Read More →
Amped Highlights Power Behind Amped FIVE Software
Amped FIVE empowers you to advance your investigations with confidence and precision, from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom.
Read More →
Police K-9 Killed, Suspect Dies in Shootout with Cops
A Burbank Police Department K-9 was fatally shot over the weekend by a passenger who fled on foot from a traffic stop. The armed suspect was killed in a shootout with officers.
Read More →
From the Show Floor: InVeris
In this video, learn about how InVeris provides training to law enforcement, including customized augmented reality scenarios. The augmented reality system can scan up to 10,000 square feet of real-life environments and create a curriculum based on those spaces.
Read More →
From the Show Floor: Polaris Government & Defense
Learn about Polaris Government & Defense in this video as POLICE visits their show booth to discover their side-by-sides and the advantages they provide for agencies.
Read More →