President Trump today is hosting a listening session at the White House on opioid and other drug abuse.

During his campaign, Trump promised to end the opioid addiction epidemic. This week, he appointed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to lead a White House commission to combat drug addiction. Christie joined Trump at today’s event kicking off that effort.

Watch the video above about the origins of an epidemic that has killed tens of thousands of people in the United States since 1999.

Learn more about the opioid crisis in a series of special reports by The Times.


2016 Times investigation

‘You want a description of hell?’ Oxycontin’s 12-hour problem »

More than 1 million OxyContin pills ended up in the hands of criminals and addicts. What the drugmaker knew »

How black-market OxyContin spurred a town’s descent into crime, addiction and heartbreak »

2012 Times investigation

Legal drugs, deadly outcomes »


Dr. Carlos Estiandan was up to no good. And the Medical Board of California was on to him »

Reckless prescribing: Joey Rivera’s quest for pills ended at Pacifica Pharmacy »

Kamala Harris has powerful tool for identifying reckless doctors, but she doesn’t use it »