Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status MORE on Tuesday emphasized how deadly and unprecedented current drug epidemic is, referring to drug overdose deaths as the "top lethal issue" in the U.S.

"Our current drug epidemic is indeed the deadliest in American history. We've seen nothing like it," Sessions said Tuesday during the annual conference of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, as reported by the Associated Press.

Sessions said in 2016 the country saw nearly 60,000 overdose deaths, according to preliminary data, which would be a record.

Sessions said that "mixed messages about the harmfulness of drugs" sometimes come from the media and government officials.

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"That is not acceptable. We must not capitulate, intellectually or morally, to drug use," Sessions said. "We must create and foster a culture that's hostile to drug use."

Earlier this month, President Trump promised an intense effort to take on the nation's opioid crisis.

He vowed to work with law enforcement against "drug dealers that poison our communities" both inside and outside the country.

“The best way to prevent drug addiction and overdose is to prevent people from abusing drugs in the first place,” Trump said. “If they don't start, they won't have a problem. If they do start, it's awfully tough to get off."