Answer Addiction

Tag: Melania Trump

  • Melania Trump: Media Should Focus On Opioid Crisis, Not "Gossip"

    Melania Trump: Media Should Focus On Opioid Crisis, Not "Gossip"

    The First Lady addressed the opioid epidemic at a recent town hall meeting in Las Vegas. 

    First Lady Melania Trump called on the media this week to spend more time focusing on the opioid epidemic and less time on frivolous reporting. 

    “I challenge the press to devote as much time to the lives lost and the potential lives that could be saved by dedicating the same amount of coverage that you do to idle gossip or trivial stories,” she said during a town-hall meeting in Las Vegas on Tuesday (March 5).

    The meeting was part of a three-stop tour highlighting her “Be Best” campaign, which focuses on well-being for young people by touching on topics including the dangers of opioids, according to NBC News.

    The first lady continued, “I wish the media would talk about more and educate more children, also adults, parents, about the opioid crisis that we have in the United States. They do it already, but I think not enough.”

    Trump said that coverage of the opioid epidemic should focus on the human toll of drug addiction. 

    “When we see breaking news on TV, or the front pages of newspaper — it is my hope that it can be about how many lives we were able to save through education and honest dialogue,” she said. 

    In her own home, she warns her son Barron, 12, that “drugs are dangerous. It will mess up your head. It will mess up your body and nothing comes positive out of it,” according to Time.

    Mrs. Trump is focusing on the opioid epidemic as part of overall wellness for young people, and feels that education is a key component of that. 

    “As a mother and as first lady, it concerns me that in today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world, children can be less prepared to express or manage their emotions and oftentimes turn to forms of destructive or addictive behavior such as bullying, drug addiction or even suicide,” she said last year. “I feel strongly that as adults we can and should be best at educating our children about the importance of a healthy and balanced life.”

    At the Las Vegas event Trump spoke with Eric Bolling, a former anchor for Fox News. Bolling’s son Eric died at 19 from a drug overdose, and Bolling has spoken publicly about the loss, including in a White House video. 

    “We never saw it coming,” Bolling said. “We never thought we would get that call.”

    In the video Bolling emotionally warns parents that they need to be aware that anyone’s child can fall victim to opioids. 

    “Not-my-kid syndrome is a killer. Because you just don’t know. It could very well be your kid,” he said. “So do us all a favor. Do yourself a favor. Do your family a favor. Do your children a favor. Have the discussion with them and do it again. And again. Get involved in your kids lives. …You could save a life. “

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Melania Trump Discusses Opioid Epidemic

    Melania Trump Discusses Opioid Epidemic

    During her speech, Trump detailed startling statistics about the opioid epidemic but urged students to look beyond those numbers. 

    First Lady Melania Trump spoke with college students about the opioid epidemic last week, calling the current situation the “worst drug crisis in American history.”

    Trump appeared at a town hall meeting at Liberty University, a Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. She appeared on a panel hosted by former Fox News personality Eric Bolling, whose son died of an accidental drug overdose last year. 

    During the panel, Trump said she has seen how deeply the country has been affected by opioid abuse as she explores the issue as part of her “Be Best” campaign to emphasize emotional wellbeing. 

    “When I took on opioid abuse as one of the pillars of my initiative ‘Be Best,’ I did it with the goal of helping children of all ages. I have visited several hospitals and facilities that are dedicated to helping all who have been affected by this disease — including people who are addicted, babies born addicted and families coping with addiction of a loved one,” she said to the students at Liberty University, according to CNN. “What has struck me with each visit is how this epidemic has touched so many people — whether it is because of personal use, or that of family members, friends, coworkers or neighbors — opioid addiction is an illness that has truly taken hold of our country.” 

    During her speech, Trump detailed the statistics about the opioid epidemic but urged students to look beyond those numbers. 

    “I also believe you have the capacity to not think of this in terms of statistics, but to think of this as a human story and an opportunity to save lives,” she said.

    She added that everyone needs to be aware of the danger of opioids and of how to support someone who is struggling with substance use disorder. 

    “While you may never personally become addicted, the chances of you knowing someone who struggles with it are very high,” she 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.”

    Trump also told students that through her “Be Best” campaign she hopes to help kids realize that the actions they take now can affect them for years to come.

    “I saw it as an opportunity to speak with all of you as you enter a critical stage of your lives,” she told students, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “The independence that comes with being a young adult is exciting but overwhelming… I know college is a time of independence. I am here to remind you some of those decisions, though they may seem minor at the time, could negatively impact you for the rest of your lives.”

    View the original article at thefix.com