President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that China would crack down on the production and exporting of fentanyl and the precursor chemicals used to make it, according to media reports.
But while Biden is painting the agreement as a win that will “save lives”, drug policy experts told VICE News they’re skeptical the measure will curb the overdose crisis—and it may make the drug supply worse.
Biden and Xi met Wednesday in San Francisco, where both leaders were in town for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. According to the New York Times, China will go after the exporting of illicit fentanyl into the U.S. and the manufacturing of precursor chemicals, which are being used to make fentanyl and smuggle it into the country from Mexico.
Puts on my Heisenberg voice
“Cracking down” on a drug has never worked. Ever.
Want to have an impact on the drug market? Produce a superior product.
A superior product demands a superior market share.
A superior product that is cheaper than the competitor dominates the market.
Dominate the market and competitors get snuffed out.
Want to stop Fentanyl overdoses? Offer the cheapest, best quality, most stable Fentanyl.
The junkies get a better high and accidental overdoses plummet.
You’ve got my vote
Aw, shucks.