RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has told a White House panel on fighting opioid and drug addiction that “we cannot arrest our way” out of the problem.
Cooper said Friday in Washington that consensus and common sense are needed to find solutions that include substance abuse treatment and prevention.
The governor says he’s worried changes to health care being considered by Congress could threaten addiction treatment coverage for millions of Americans.
Cooper likes local law enforcement programs that treat abusers rather than imprison them. He also says pharmaceutical companies should be working on generic forms of drugs that are less addictive.
Cooper was speaking at the first meeting of a bipartisan commission created by President Donald Trump. The former attorney general is one of many elected officials and experts serving.
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