Attorney General Sessions today announced that the Department of Justice has created a new senior level position - Director of Opioid Enforcement and Prevention Efforts (“Director”). The Director will be responsible for assisting the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Department components in formulating and implementing Department initiatives, policies, grants, and programs relating to opioids, and coordinating these efforts with law enforcement.



In announcing the position, Attorney General Sessions made the following statement:



"With one American dying of a drug overdose every nine minutes, we need all hands on deck," Attorney General Sessions said. "That's why President Trump has made ending the drug epidemic a top priority. This Department of Justice embraces that goal, and we have taken a number of steps this year to do our part. We have indicted hundreds of defendants for drug related healthcare fraud, sent more prosecutors to where they're needed most, and we've taken on the gangs and cartels. Today we take the next step: creating a senior level official position at the Department to focus entirely on this issue. This Department will continue to follow the President's lead, and I am confident that we can and will turn the tide of the drug crisis."