US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that China will take action to stem the supply of fentanyl entering the country, a synthetic opioid that killed over 70,000 people last year. Mr. Biden met with China’s Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco for a “candid and in-depth” conversation about restarting high-level military communication, establishing an intergovernmental forum on Artificial Intelligence, and discussing Taiwan.
The choice of location for the Biden-Xi meetings is noteworthy; thus far in 2023, there have been more than 600 opioid-related deaths (most of which have been linked to fentanyl), compared to 647 in 2022. Tens of thousands of people die each year in the United States as a result of an opioid overdose.
Mr. Biden stated that Beijing has agreed to halt the shipment of goods associated with the drug’s manufacture
Mr. Biden stated that Beijing has agreed to halt the shipment of goods associated with the drug’s manufacture. “It is going to save lives,” he told reporters, adding that he was grateful for China’s “commitment” to the matter. According to a senior American official, under the new deal, China will go after companies that manufacture precursors, which are goods required to synthesize the narcotic. Chinese firms provide opioids and the compounds that can be mixed to manufacture them. However, in a proviso emphasizing the two countries’ mistrust, the official stated that the US would “trust but verify” China’s measures against the substance.
A White House statement after the meeting highlighted joint efforts to “combat global illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking (including fentanyl)… and establishment of a working group for ongoing communication and law enforcement coordination on counter-narcotics issues”.
Fentanyl produces euphoria, pain alleviation, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting, as well as urine retention
According to the White House, Mr. Biden also emphasized the importance of combating the expanding threat of illicit synthetic narcotics like fentanyl, as well as combating the flow of precursor chemicals and tablets to cartels in the United States. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, and it was licensed as an analgesic (pain reliever) by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1998.
Actiq, Duragesic, and Sublimaze are some of the brand names for it in prescription form. The variant connected to overdose deaths was illegally manufactured. It’s also known as China Girl and China Town on the street. The majority of illegal fentanyl is produced in laboratories outside the United States and transported across the border into Mexico.
Fentanyl produces euphoria, pain alleviation, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting, as well as urine retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression, like other opioid analgesics. It can be given as an injection, a patch applied to the skin, or pills in a prescription setting. Fentanyl is available in both liquid and powder form for unlawful consumption. It can be supplied in the latter form via nasal sprays, eye drops, or even miniature candles. It is also available in pill form.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have declared fentanyl and fentanyl-containing pharmaceuticals “extremely dangerous,” warning that many people may be unaware their medications are laced with it. According to the CDC, some of the signs of a fentanyl overdose are constricted pupils, weak or slow breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, a limp body,, and discolored, cold, or clammy skin.
