Biden highlights efforts with China, Mexico to combat fentanyl
Biden highlights efforts with China, Mexico to combat fentanyl
2023-11-24
U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted on Tuesday his administration’s efforts to halt the flow of fentanyl and the ingredients used to produce the deadly drug, following deals with leaders of China and Mexico last week. However, as VOA chief White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara tells us, observers say past efforts to control production and export from outside of the country have proved ineffective.
The deadly drug fentanyl can be shipped undetected via airport cargo, border crossings and even through the postal system.
Following counternarcotics deals with China and Mexico reached on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco last week, on Tuesday President Joe Biden vowed to boost his administration’s efforts to combat the drug that has killed more than 200 thousand Americans in recent years.
Joe Biden
US president
This challenge also has roots outside our borders, outside the borders of the United States. It’s a global challenge that demands global action.
Fentanyl is mass-produced in Mexico using precursor chemicals largely from China and trafficked via cartels into the U.S. While China has agreed to reduce the flow of precursor chemicals, implementation remains to be seen, and other sources may open up.
Peter Reuter
University of Maryland
We always worry about displacement. That is that if China stops sending the precursors, that the very large, poorly regulated, corruptly regulated, Indian industry will replace China.
Experts praise Biden’s comprehensive approach but say that a heavy focus on limiting fentanyl’s entry can be counter-productive to the positive steps in harm reduction the administration has taken.
Brandon Marshall
Brown University
Many of these efforts to restrict the supply lead traffickers to identify substances which are more potent. So that means a smaller quantity for the same effect, which are easier to traffic.
Biden urged Congress to tighten laws to make fentanyl a Schedule One drug. But advocates say such a move is dangerous.
Mary Sylla
National Harm Reduction Coalition
Maintaining the scheduling of fentanyl as Schedule One means that people are going to be stigmatized, they’re going to go to jail and prison, and actually get pulled out of their communities and be more likely to overdose.
Sylla argued that more focus and resources should be placed instead on efforts to reduce the negative impacts of substance use, including syringe services, overdose prevention and drug treatments.
Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News, Washington.
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拜登:努力與中國、墨西哥打擊芬太尼
2023-11-24
美國總統拜登週二強調，繼上週與中國和墨西哥領導人達成協議後，正努力遏止類鴉片麻醉藥品芬太尼，及其原料的販運問題。然而，據美國之音駐白宮記者Patsy Widakuswara報導，專家表示，過去控制國外生產和出口已被證明是無效的。
致命藥物芬太尼可以透過機場貨運、過境點甚至郵政系統，在不被發現的情況下運輸。
上週在舊金山舉行的APEC峰會期間，與中國和墨西哥達成禁毒協議後，美國總統拜登週二誓言，將加大政府打擊毒品的力度。近年來已導致超過20萬美國人因藥物濫用而喪命。
[[美國總統 拜登]]
“這一挑戰也植根於我們的邊界之外，在美國邊界之外。這是一項全球性挑戰，需要全球的行動。”
芬太尼在墨西哥大量生產，使用的先驅化學物質主要來自中國，並透過墨西哥販毒集團運到美國。雖然中國已同意減少先驅化學品的流量，但實施仍有待觀察，並且可能會出現其他來源。
[[馬里蘭大學教授 彼得魯伊特]]
“我們總是擔心位置轉換。也就是說，如果斷了中國的來源，那麼規模龐大、缺乏監管的印度將取代中國。”
專家肯定拜登的全面性的做法，但憂心，過度聚焦在限制芬太尼的流入，可能會對政府為減少傷害所採取的積極措施產生反作用。
[[布朗大學公共衛生學院流行病學教授 布蘭登馬歇爾]]
“太多限制措施會導致走私者找出更有效的物質。這意味著用更少的數量就能達到相同的效果，而且更容易流通。”
拜登敦促國會修法，將芬太尼列為一級藥物。但有人認為，這樣做更危險。
[[全國減少傷害聯盟過量預防政策和戰略主任 瑪麗西拉]]
“將芬太尼列為一級藥物，代表會有人因為使用遭受汙名，會坐牢，甚至被趕出社區，然後更有可能吸毒過量。”
西拉認為，應該將重點和資源放在減少藥物使用負面影響上，包括注射器服務、濫用預防和藥物治療。
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