New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie will take on an advisory role to help figure out ways the trump administration can fight American's dependence on opioids. According to CNN, President Trump made the announcement at a meeting at the White House on Wednesday.

Is Christie the right man for the job?

Trump introduced Chris as a "very effective guy" and said he'd work with the local and state government, law enforcement, and medical professionals to "help develop policies" that could combat Opioid Addiction.

Christie is a politician that has a no-nonsense demeanor which would serve him well in this role.

For him, the battle on opioid addiction is something much more personal.

In 2015, the governor said that his close friend died alone in a motel as a result of an addiction to Percocet. He recalled feeling shocked about his friend's addiction, because, by all accounts, he seemed to have everything.

Christie said he was a good looking person, well educated, career, and a beautiful family. Even so, he was addicted to opioids and he didn't get help. And, it could happen to anyone.

Opioid epidemic is alarming

For the past 18 years, the number of overdose opioid deaths have quadrupled.

In the past 15 years, more than 500,000 people have died from drug overdoses. Research claims that opioid addiction accounts for most of the drug-related overdoses.

It is estimated that 90 people die every day as a result of addiction. For every person who dies, 30 more people are admitted to the ER for treatment. It is a big problem in America.

Many people are praising Trump's effort to find policies to end addiction to the pain killers.

Trump's plan could make a difference

During Trump's 2016 campaign trail, he stated drug addiction was a priority for his administration. He has not changed his stance. Donald wants to overhaul the drug court system to give addicts an effective treatment plan to overcome dependence on drugs and alcohol.

The proposed Trump plan would give $500 million more to expand opioid addiction prevention and drug treatment. If his proposal is accepted, it could greatly reduce opioid addiction in the next few years.

The greatest part of his plan is he wants to make drug treatment available to more people, particularly those who cannot usually afford it. Trump said that it's sad that those who can't afford treatment often keep using because they don't know how to stop on their own.

Opioid addiction can lead to other drugs

One of the main issues, other than the health risk, with opioid addiction, is it can lead to using other illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Christie believes there should be restrictions on how many pills a doctor can prescribe. For example, he recommended doctors only handing out up to a five-day prescription so their patient won't develop a dependency on the drug.

Donald Trump and Chris Christie have work to do to combat opioid addiction in America, but it sounds like, they are off to a great start.

Do you think Chris Christie is the right man to head the opioid addiction panel?
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