As Donald Trump prepares for his new term as president, one of his stated priorities is to stop the long and deadly trend of overdose deaths and addiction.

Strengthening border security against drug cartels is important, but this is not just a border problem. He should also demand a major overhaul of every federal program tasked with dealing with drug addiction, suicide, homelessness, and mental illness. As the president looks to apply DOGE to federal agencies that have not been doing their job well, he can start with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Over the past 20 years, the deaths from drug overdoses, suicides, and premature deaths associated with untreated mental illness (including murders and victims of murder), exceed the total number of U.S. soldier combat deaths in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Suicide rates are now the highest in 80 years. Since 2000, nearly one million people have died of a drug overdose. Untreated Serious Mental Illness (SMI) has caused a massive economic burden on communities, families, and taxpayers. There is no end in sight as long as policies remain the same and leadership remains weak.
Schizophrenia, one of the most dangerous and neurodegenerative SMI conditions, involves hallucinations, thought disorders, and disorganized behaviors. Treatment, especially with antipsychotic medications, can make a major difference in symptoms, but there is no cure. Although schizophrenia only affects around 1 percent of the population, the annual cost of schizophrenia alone is likely much larger than the entire 2025 budget request ($369 Billion) of the Veterans Administration, according to preliminary data collected by Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action Alliance. These costs include housing, healthcare, homelessness, criminal justice, disability payments, family costs, and long-term care. The staggering truth is that much of this spending is due to a failure to treat schizophrenia.
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