President Trump on Monday laid out his plan to end the opioid epidemic in a speech that focused heavily on punitive measures — including executing some drug dealers — while also pledging to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in fostering addiction.
In a wide-ranging speech, Trump touched on the need for greater access to treatment, praised companies that are making “lifesaving overdose-reversing drugs” and promised a public-awareness campaign to deter youths from taking drugs. He also reiterated his call to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying that it would help reduce the flow of illegal narcotics, a claim many experts dispute.