Target the fentanyl supply chain
Commentary
Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, has created a major public health crisis. One of the most pressing questions is: How can government deter the flow of illicit fentanyl? By developing a multipronged supply chain strategy that controls demand and stamps out supply.
For now, China has agreed to curb the flow of fentanyl to the U.S., as well as the chemical precursors for producing fentanyl that it sends to Mexico. The U.S. must seek global support to develop a comprehensive plan to combat the fentanyl crisis.
Overdoses from fentanyl, 50 times more powerful than heroin, were a leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45 in 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. The issue of fentanyl addiction and overdose has the potential to escalate into a global crisis.
In efforts to combat the crisis, lawmakers have passed several policies and regulations. For instance, some states have imposed harsher sentencing, and other states have considered imposing the death sentence for distribution.
In California, people who are convicted of dealing more than 1 kilogram of fentanyl face a longer prison term by three years under a new law. The higher the drug weight, the more severe the penalties become — for example, an extra 25 years of prison time can be imposed for trafficking more than 80 kilograms. However, it seems that more drastic measures, such as a life term in prison, may be more effective in eliminating such crimes, as demonstrated by China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Virginia has classified fentanyl as a “weapon of terrorism” in a move to increase prison sentences for dealers. In July, the attorneys general of 18 states pressed President Joe Biden to declare fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, given that in a single month, U.S. customs seized enough of the drug to kill every American.
Besides laws and punishments for selling and distributing illicit fentanyl, the U.S. government is developing strategies to control demand by preventing and treating fentanyl addiction.
• Education: Educating people about the dangers of fentanyl can discourage them from trying it out as an experiment. Local governments can spearhead public awareness and prevention programs.
• Detox programs: Local governments should collaborate with health professionals to develop programs that alleviate withdrawal symptoms, prevent complications and prepare people for further treatment. Communities should establish support groups like Narcotics Anonymous and SMART Recovery.
• Naloxone accessibility: State governments are increasing the accessibility of naloxone, a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.
• Supervised consumption sites: New York City opened the first authorized supervised consumption site in the U.S. in 2021. At these sites, individuals can use pre-obtained drugs under the safety and support of trained personnel, thereby preventing overdose deaths.
Controlling fentanyl demand through prevention and treatment is a defensive strategy, and the U.S. should take a proactive strategy to stamp out the supply of the drug.
To reduce preventable overdose deaths in the U.S., it is crucial to understand the flow of fentanyl. It starts with the production of fentanyl precursors in countries such as China and India, followed by the clandestine shipment of these precursors to Mexico, which are often concealed with regular cargo. The production of fentanyl then occurs in secret labs operated by drug cartels. The final drug — frequently mixed into counterfeit pills — is smuggled into the U.S. and sold on the street.
Unless China and Mexico crack down on these factories and impose severe penalties, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has limited resources and capabilities for preventing fentanyl from entering the U.S.
CBP has been using artificial intelligence models to identify suspicious cars or cargo at the border. However, it must expand its efforts beyond the border because fentanyl production and its precursor chemicals are likely to spread beyond China and Mexico. India has emerged as a source for finished fentanyl powder and fentanyl precursors following China’s implementation of restrictions on the production and sale of fentanyl in 2019.
The illicit fentanyl supply chain can be compared to a virus — a microscopic organism that can mutate and infect many hosts. Just as doctors need vaccines and treatments to combat a virus, the United States cannot stop this drug epidemic without international cooperation as well as harsher punishment.
Christopher Tang is a distinguished professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Thomas Choi is a Regents professor of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.