The opioid epidemic has hit the entire country — to the extent that President Donald Trump has declared it a public health emergency.

Does the seriousness of the problem mean that more states need to have naloxone available, so first responders can treat overdoses as quickly as possible? Should physicians be prescribing fewer painkillers?

Valley surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Singer agrees that the opioid crisis is a serious one that needs to be addressed, but he’s not convinced that policymakers are approaching solutions in the right way.

I met Dr. Singer at his office to talk about this. I started by asking how he’d characterize the current situation with opioids and whether he’d consider it a crisis.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The headline has been updated to correct the spelling of policymakers.