In Case You Haven't Heard

Abstract

Last week, first lady Melania Trump traveled to Lynchburg, Virginia, to attend an Opioid Town Hall inside Liberty University's basketball arena. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen accompanied the first lady to Lynchburg. Trump emphasized there is no shame in asking for help. Most recently, she traveled to Philadelphia, learning more about Jefferson University Hospital's Maternal Addiction Treatment Education and Research (MATER) program for mothers and children affected by opioids. “As a mother and as first lady, I want to do everything I can to expose the serious dangers of opioid and drug addiction and provide opportunities for youth to become leaders in ending this crisis,” Trump said. She warned the college students at Liberty about alcohol and drugs but said she didn't want to “lecture” them, but rather tell them what she had learned. “I have learned that you have a responsibility to yourself, and also to those around you who may be struggling. While you may never personally become addicted, the chances of you knowing someone who struggles with it are very high,” Trump said. “And if you or someone you know needs help, you need to be brave enough to ask, or strong enough to stand with them as they fight through the disease. You need to be educated enough to know the signs of addiction, and also secure enough to talk about it, and keep talking about it until help arrives.”