The Health 202: Trump talked tough on drugs. But applying the death penalty to traffickers is even tougher. (Washington Post)

Tuesday Mar 20th, 2018

President Trump delivered a fiery speech yesterday calling for the execution of some drug traffickers. But to actually start doing that, he’d either need Congress to change the law or would have to reinterpret it on his own. Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen said she’s worried about Trump’s focus on punishment.

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When I’ve asked experts about these approaches, it’s not that any of them are bad. It’s that they fall short. For instance, Leana Wen, the former health commissioner of Baltimore (and soon-to-be president of Planned Parenthood), said that the Support for Patients and Communities Act “is simply tinkering around the edges.”

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