The White House has announced the launch of the Great American Recovery Initiative, a coordinated federal effort to address addiction and substance use disorder across the United States. According to the administration, 48.4 million Americans—16.8 percent of the population—suffer from addiction, which is described as a chronic but treatable disease.
President Donald J. Trump stated, "The disease of addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is a crisis that touches families in every community and neighborhood in our Nation. 48.4 million Americans, or 16.8 percent of our Nation’s population, suffer from addiction, and my Administration will continue to respond to a crisis of this scale with the attention it deserves."
The initiative aims to improve coordination among government agencies, healthcare providers, faith communities, and private organizations to enhance treatment and recovery efforts nationwide. Despite previous investments in addressing addiction, many individuals do not receive necessary treatment or even recognize their need for help. The administration notes that among adults who had a substance use disorder in 2024 but did not receive treatment, 95.6 percent did not perceive they needed it.
President Trump highlighted the broader impact of addiction on society: "The costs of these failures are devastating, not only in lives lost, but also in the ripple effects across our economy, workforce, and national strength. Addiction contributes to declining workforce participation, increased healthcare costs, homelessness, family instability, and lost productivity that together cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars each year."
The executive order establishes the White House Great American Recovery Initiative under joint leadership by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery. An Executive Director will oversee daily operations and report to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy.
Other members include officials from various departments such as Justice; Interior; Education; Labor; Housing and Urban Development; Veterans Affairs; as well as senior White House staff and agency heads related to health care policy.
According to President Trump: "My Administration will drive a new national response to the disease of addiction that will create stronger coordination across government, the healthcare sector, faith communities, and the private sector in order to save lives, restore families, strengthen our communities, and build the Great American Recovery."
The initiative may hold public hearings or seek expert input from leaders in public health or addiction recovery fields.
Key objectives include recommending steps for federal coordination on addiction issues; raising awareness about addiction as a disease; advising agencies on integrating prevention and recovery into various systems such as health care or criminal justice; directing grants toward prevention and resilience programs; and consulting with state governments as well as community organizations.
The order specifies that its provisions should not interfere with existing legal authorities or budgetary functions held by other federal offices.
President Trump concluded: "This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations."
