President Donald Trump has declared August 31 through September 6, 2025, as Overdose Prevention Week, calling the drug crisis “one of the gravest threats to American lives” in a proclamation issued Thursday.
The designation comes as overdose deaths continue devastating American communities, with more than 80,000 people dying from drug overdoses in the past year.
Trump blamed the crisis on the previous administration’s border policies. “Under the previous administration, our country endured a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions on our southern border,” he said.
The president highlighted recent legislative victories in his anti-drug efforts. He signed the HALT Fentanyl Act in July, classifying fentanyl-related compounds as Schedule I drugs.
Trump also noted his administration designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The One Big Beautiful Bill expands the southern border wall and increases deportations of drug traffickers.
“Children have vanished from classrooms, parents from dinner tables, and entire neighborhoods have been shaken by unconscionable grief and sorrow,” Trump said.
The proclamation urges Americans to participate in awareness programs and religious services during the week. Trump emphasized his commitment to protecting families from what he called a “vicious assault on the American people.”
“I will continue to do everything in my power to protect children and families, end the scourge of drug addiction, and keep lethal substances out of our communities,” he said.
The week-long observance aims to raise awareness about prescription opioid and drug overdoses. Trump called for “concrete follow-up activities” beyond symbolic gestures.