US and China to continue cooperation in fight against drugs: Will the fentanyl epidemic stop?

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

China's Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong and US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas met in Vienna last Sunday. Continuing to work together in the fight against drugs, particularly fentanyl, China and the US announced that their cooperation will continue.

The synthetic drug traffic between China and the US is seen as a serious problem within both countries. The substance known as 'fentanyl', which is produced in China, is used as a raw material for drugs in the US despite its status as a painkiller. Fentanyl, which has a narcotic effect when taken in high doses, is also converted into synthetic drugs through chemical processes. In the US, shipments of fentanyl from China were seen as one of the main sources of the drug problem in 2023.

FENTANYL HAS CLAIMED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES IN THE US

Due to its easy accessibility and low cost in the US, fentanyl has become both one of the most consumed drugs and has begun to be used in the production of synthetic drugs. The drug, produced as a painkiller, was not subject to control as a narcotic substance. For a long time, authorities did not see the use of fentanyl for drug purposes as a serious problem. However, the fact that fentanyl began to be used as a raw material for drugs caused the US to shift its focus in the fight against drugs to this substance. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced in 2023 that enough fentanyl had been seized to kill all Americans. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70% of the 112,300 Americans who died due to drugs between June 2022 and June 2023 lost their lives due to fentanyl.

Following the spread of fentanyl as a narcotic substance, the US had asked China to impose controls on the production and export of this substance. China did not reject the US's demands on this issue, and the security forces of the two countries began to cooperate to cut off the use of fentanyl in the drug market.

According to the agreement, China and the US aim to cut off the trade of fentanyl for drug purposes through a joint working group they have established. The working group held its first meeting last month, and it was announced that the meetings would continue.

News Source: 12punto