U.S. attorney general says people should just 'say no' to opioidsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions equated the opioid epidemic to a personal failing by many Americans who cannot “say no” to drugs on Thursday, and he said that marijuana could be serving as a gateway to the problem. “People should say no to drug use. They have got to protect themselves first,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington. Sessions made his comments ahead of President Donald Trump’s declaration that the opioid crisis a public health emergency, a move that will redirect federal resources to help combat the problem. Sessions said he was extremely troubled by the epidemic, saying it has led to more overdose deaths than the height of the AIDS public health crisis in the 1980s. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were responsible for more than 33,000 U.S. deaths in 2015. The Justice Department has stepped up enforcement efforts to combat the problem.  Earlier on Thursday, the Justice Department announced it had secured an indictment against a Pittsburgh-based doctor for unlawfully distributing opioids, in the first case of its kind to be brought since Sessions launched an Opioid Abuse and Detection unit.    But in response to a question about how best to combat the epidemic, Sessions cast the problem in a moral light. “I do think that this whole country needs to not be so lackadaisical about drugs,” he said. In urging people to say no to drugs, his comments channeled former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who famously launched a “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign when the crack cocaine epidemic was ravaging communities in the 1980s.  Her husband, President Ronald Reagan, during his tenure signed into law a sweeping criminal justice bill that established mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, including marijuana. Sessions said on Thursday that “fentanyl people are really killers,” but did not clarify to whom he was specifically referring. He also said that he has heard from many police chiefs that drug addiction “starts with marijuana.” Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate that is up to 50 times more lethal than heroin. Michael Correia, the government relations director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, said Sessions is ill-informed and pointed to data showing many of the overdoses involve prescription painkillers. According to the CDC, nearly half of all the opioid overdose deaths in the United States in 2015 involved prescription medications. Correia said Sessions “is still repeating the old, tired  argument that marijuana is a gateway when there is a lot of evidence that proves otherwise.” politicsNews
attorney general says people opioidswashington reuters attorney general jeff sessions equated opioid epidemic personal failing many americans say drugs thursday said marijuana could serving gateway problem people say drug use they got protect first said session heritage foundation think tank washington sessions made comments ahead president donald trump declaration opioid crisis public health emergency move redirect federal resources help combat problem sessions said extremely troubled epidemic saying led overdose deaths height aids public health crisis according centers disease control prevention opioids responsible deaths the justice department stepped enforcement efforts combat problem earlier thursday justice department announced secured indictment doctor unlawfully distributing opioids first case kind brought since sessions launched opioid abuse detection unit but response question best combat epidemic sessions cast problem moral light i think whole country needs lackadaisical drugs said in urging people say drugs comments channeled former first lady nancy reagan famously launched just say no campaign crack cocaine epidemic managing communities her husband president ronald reagan tenure signed law sweeping criminal justice bill established mandatory minimum sentences drug offenses including marijuana sessions said thursday fentanyl people really killers clarify specifically referring he also said heard many police chiefs drug addiction starts fentanyl synthetic update times lethal heroin michael correct government relations director national cannabis industry association said sessions pointed data showing many overdose involve prescription painkillers according cdc nearly half opioid overdose deaths united states involved prescription medications correct said sessions still repeating old tired argument marijuana gateway lot evidence proves politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: U.S. attorney general says people should just 'say no' to opioidsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions equated the opioid epidemic to a personal failing by many Americans who cannot “say no” to drugs on Thursday, and he said that marijuana could be serving as a gateway to the problem. “People should say no to drug use. They have got to protect themselves first,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington. Sessions made his comments ahead of President Donald Trump’s declaration that the opioid crisis a public health emergency, a move that will redirect federal resources to help combat the problem. Sessions said he was extremely troubled by the epidemic, saying it has led to more overdose deaths than the height of the AIDS public health crisis in the 1980s. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were responsible for more than 33,000 U.S. deaths in 2015. The Justice Department has stepped up enforcement efforts to combat the problem.  Earlier on Thursday, the Justice Department announced it had secured an indictment against a Pittsburgh-based doctor for unlawfully distributing opioids, in the first case of its kind to be brought since Sessions launched an Opioid Abuse and Detection unit.    But in response to a question about how best to combat the epidemic, Sessions cast the problem in a moral light. “I do think that this whole country needs to not be so lackadaisical about drugs,” he said. In urging people to say no to drugs, his comments channeled former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who famously launched a “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign when the crack cocaine epidemic was ravaging communities in the 1980s.  Her husband, President Ronald Reagan, during his tenure signed into law a sweeping criminal justice bill that established mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, including marijuana. Sessions said on Thursday that “fentanyl people are really killers,” but did not clarify to whom he was specifically referring. He also said that he has heard from many police chiefs that drug addiction “starts with marijuana.” Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate that is up to 50 times more lethal than heroin. Michael Correia, the government relations director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, said Sessions is ill-informed and pointed to data showing many of the overdoses involve prescription painkillers. According to the CDC, nearly half of all the opioid overdose deaths in the United States in 2015 involved prescription medications. Correia said Sessions “is still repeating the old, tired  argument that marijuana is a gateway when there is a lot of evidence that proves otherwise.” politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: attorney general says people opioidswashington reuters attorney general jeff sessions equated opioid epidemic personal failing many americans say drugs thursday said marijuana could serving gateway problem people say drug use they got protect first said session heritage foundation think tank washington sessions made comments ahead president donald trump declaration opioid crisis public health emergency move redirect federal resources help combat problem sessions said extremely troubled epidemic saying led overdose deaths height aids public health crisis according centers disease control prevention opioids responsible deaths the justice department stepped enforcement efforts combat problem earlier thursday justice department announced secured indictment doctor unlawfully distributing opioids first case kind brought since sessions launched opioid abuse detection unit but response question best combat epidemic sessions cast problem moral light i think whole country needs lackadaisical drugs said in urging people say drugs comments channeled former first lady nancy reagan famously launched just say no campaign crack cocaine epidemic managing communities her husband president ronald reagan tenure signed law sweeping criminal justice bill established mandatory minimum sentences drug offenses including marijuana sessions said thursday fentanyl people really killers clarify specifically referring he also said heard many police chiefs drug addiction starts fentanyl synthetic update times lethal heroin michael correct government relations director national cannabis industry association said sessions pointed data showing many overdose involve prescription painkillers according cdc nearly half opioid overdose deaths united states involved prescription medications correct said sessions still repeating old tired argument marijuana gateway lot evidence proves politicsnews