YouTube/Getty Composite
John Oliver is not happy with President Donald Trump's solution for combating the growing opioid crisis in the United States, which was one of his central campaign promises.
On Thursday of last week, the president advocated for "really tough, really big, really great advertising" to target Americans before they start using.
"So an ad campaign?" Oliver said on Sunday's "Last Week Tonight." "That doesn't help the people who are already struggling with addiction. It's kind of like seeing someone neck-deep in quicksand and then putting up a Don't Do Quicksand sign."
The comedian then played a clip of POTUS speaking to a group teenagers at one of his rallies last year, where he said, "Don't take drugs, OK? Raise your hand. Raise your hand! I promise Donald J. Trump ... that I will never take drugs ... I don't want to say no alcohol, but take it easy on the alcohol."
"What are you doing?!" Oliver said. "Why are you walking back the pledge as you go?! You would be a terrible wedding officiant. 'Do you take this woman -- I don't want to say forsaking all others, there are gonna be others, but take it easy on the others, and don't let them call you at home."
"It is good that the president is calling attention to the opioid crisis," the late-night host added. "The problem is, attention is pretty much all he's giving it because he didn't put out a detailed strategy, and his splashiest step -- calling it a public health emergency -- doesn't actually do very much."
YouTube/Getty Composite
Trevor Noah Explains Why Trump Declaring Opioids a 'National Public Health Emergency' Is BS
View StoryBack in August, Trump declared the crisis -- which is estimated to cost $75 billion a year -- a "national emergency," which would have given the government access to a $23 billion fund to help solve the crisis. On Thursday, however, the president declared the crisis a "national public health emergency," which gives the government access to a fund that currently has only $56,000 in it. That means the 2.6 million Americans addicted to opioid painkillers and heroin would be given each about two cents to solve their problem.
According to Oliver, Trump's plan "boils down to, 'Here's two pennies -- go throw them in a f-cking mall fountain and wish your addiction away.'"
Getty
