The White House drugs czar asserts that must China tighten restrictions on fentanyl’s raw material supply.
Washington is boosting pressure on Beijing to tighten down on illegal supplies of raw materials used to manufacture the synthetic narcotic fentanyl, warning that the lethal overdose epidemic sweeping the United States could soon spread to Europe and Asia.
NPP, ANPP Drugs From China
The White House narcotics czar, Dr. Rahul Gupta, told the Financial Times that it is just a matter of time until criminal organizations in China and Mexico extend their lucrative trade in the drug, which is 50 times more potent than heroin.
Illicit production of inexpensive and easily transportable synthetic substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine is altering the drug industry, posing a threat to global security, according to him.
He noted that criminal cartels could only be defeated by coordinated, worldwide effort involving China, a significant supply of the precursor chemicals used to manufacture synthetic drugs.
In 2018, China implemented restrictions on two fentanyl precursor compounds known as NPP and 4ANPP, following discussions between the Drug Enforcement Administration and Chinese government officials.
However, diplomatic tensions between the United States and China hinder Washington’s efforts to engage Beijing. After former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August, China discontinued cooperation with the United States in the battle against drugs.
Gupta stated that addressing the fentanyl epidemic will be one of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s key goals when he travels to Beijing next month to meet with senior Chinese authorities. He added that the United States would also utilize the March meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna to encourage China to further tighten transit regulations for these raw materials.
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New York’s Record High Drug Overdoses
According to disclosed data, New York City had a huge increase in drug overdoses in 2021, with fentanyl being the drug discovered in the majority of cases. The city’s Health
The department reported that 2,668 individuals died from drug overdoses in 2021, a 78% rise from 2019 and a 27% increase from 2020.
Fentanyl, an opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, was discovered in 80% of fatal drug overdoses in 2021, according to health experts. For the fifth straight year, it was also the most common substance linked to such deaths in the city.
In 2021, the Bronx had the greatest rate of overdose deaths among the five boroughs. Overdose death rates were highest in the neighborhoods of Hunts Point-Mott Haven, Crotona-Tremont, and Highbridge-Morrisania.
High rates and substantial increases in overdose deaths were also observed among New Yorkers aged 55 to 64 and those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. According to the data, black New Yorkers had the greatest rate of overdose deaths.
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