President-elect Joe Biden, long viewed as a drug policy hawk during his four decades in the Senate, is signaling a different approach to confronting a still-raging drug addiction epidemic made worse by the pandemic.

Biden, who has stocked his team with addiction experts with extensive backgrounds in public health, will emphasize new funding for substance abuse treatment and prevention, while calling to eliminate jail time for drug use. It’s a departure from his tough-on-crime approach as a senator — and from President Donald Trump’s frequent focus on a law enforcement response to the drug crisis, which experts said undercut necessary public health measures.

“We have every reason to believe President-elect Biden will view this primarily as a public health issue,” said Michael Botticelli, who led the White House drug policy office under President Barack Obama. “They recognize there is a critical component law enforcement has to play but leading with a public health strategy.”

Biden will take office at […]