DEA Calls on China to Do More to Stop Exports of Fentanyl as Overdose Deaths Soar in the U.S.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is urging China to clamp down on the supply chain networks producing fentanyl, which is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.

DEA administrator Anne Milgram told CBS News that they would like the Chinese government to do more as a majority of the chemicals in fentanyl are produced in China.

"For example, we need to be able to track every shipment of chemicals that's coming out of those Chinese chemical companies and coming to Mexico. Right now, we can't do that," Milgram noted.

According to Borderland Beat, the number one killer of Americans between 18 and 45 is now fentanyl overdoses. Between January 2021 and March 2022, Milgram said the DEA had seized 2,100 pounds of precursor chemicals.

She noted that it was enough to make one billion possibly lethal doses. However, Milgram said she knew her agency was not getting all of it.

DEA Says Fentanyl Arriving in the United States From China

According to Anne Milgram, chemical companies in China are currently the largest producer of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.

The DEA official said there was a relationship between the Chinese chemical companies and the Mexican drug cartels in Mexico, adding that once the drugs make it to the U.S. border, "it is too late."

"That's part of why we are so focused right now on stopping the chemicals coming out of the Chinese chemical companies. If we can go as far upstream as possible to China, we have a much better chance of stopping it ever being made in Mexico," Milgram noted.

Milgram also said that fentanyl's threat to teens is also a concern as the fentanyl-laced drugs can easily be bought online.

The DEA official warned parents that fake counterfeit prescription pills were widely available on social media, and drug dealers were also using TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook to sell the illegal drugs.

Milgram likened it to "Uber Eats," being able "to get a fake pill delivered to your doorstep." She said four of 10 pills seized last year contained a deadly dose of fentanyl, which is two milligrams or more.

The DEA official noted that "the amount that could be on the tip of a pencil is enough to kill someone."

Deaths From Fentanyl Overdose in the U.S.

According to preliminary new data published on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 108,000 people died from drug overdoses from January to December 2021.

Farida Ahmad, a research scientist with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, said that's about a 15 percent increase from the number of deaths in 2020, NPR reported that nearly 94,000 died in 2020.

According to The New York Times, deaths related to synthetic opioids, largely fentanyl, rose to 71,000 from 58,000. Those associated with stimulants like methamphetamine also increased to 33,000 from 25,000.

Deaths from both drugs have reportedly been rising in recent years.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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