First lady Melania Trump touted the work of her “Be Best” campaign and commented on the news that drug overdose deaths have dropped while life expectancy has increased under the Trump administration.
“For the first time in 29 years, drug overdose deaths have dropped by 4.1% and life expectancy has increased by 4 years! Proud of this administration for ensuring a safer and healthier future for our nations children. #BeBest,” she tweeted on Saturday.
For the first time in 29 years, drug overdose deaths have dropped by 4.1% and life expectancy has increased by 4 years! Proud of this administration for ensuring a safer and healthier future for our nations children. #BeBest https://t.co/UwwKaVl7Dx
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) February 1, 2020
Drug overdoses in the United States dipped in 2018 for the first time in almost 20 years, and life expectancy, which had been trending downward because of the opioid epidemic, rose slightly from 2017 to 2018, according to new numbers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The drop in overdose deaths shows that the president’s new level of focus on the opioid crisis, and the administration’s science- and community-based efforts to combat it, are beginning to make a significant difference,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said about the data.
More Americans have been killed by the opioid epidemic in the last few years than were killed in the Vietnam War.
Trump has been actively using her voice in the White House to inspire and protect children through her “Be Best” campaign that was launched in May 2018.
“It remains our generation’s moral imperative to take responsibility and help our children manage the many issues they are facing today, including encouraging positive social, emotional, and physical habits,” the campaign’s website reads. “The mission of BE BEST is to focus on some of the major issues facing children today, with the goal of encouraging children to BE BEST in their individual paths, while also teaching them the importance of social, emotional, and physical health. BE BEST will concentrate on three main pillars: well-being, online safety, and opioid abuse.”
President Trump has been a vocal figure in combating the opioid epidemic as well. He donated his second- and third-quarter 2019 salary to fighting the crisis.
