Illicit Fentanyl Cartels, Opioid Epidemic, California 2023

In a dire warning, California’s top prosecutors are calling for a permanent ban on fentanyl analogues, citing the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic on communities statewide. The crisis has claimed nearly 50,000 American lives in 2017, with 2,428 fatal opioid overdoses in California alone in 2018.

San Francisco and Los Angeles Counties have seen a staggering 54% and 41% increase in opioid fatalities since 2016, respectively. San Diego County and the Central Valley are also experiencing unprecedented levels of fatal opioid overdoses. Illicitly produced fentanyl is largely responsible for this epidemic, with law enforcement struggling to keep pace with the drug cartels manufacturing and smuggling the deadly substance into the United States.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) 2018 order making all fentanyl-related drugs illegal in the United States is set to expire in less than two weeks. While the Senate has passed bipartisan legislation approving a 15-month extension, a longer-term solution is desperately needed. A permanent ban on all fentanyl-like drugs is essential to combat the opioid crisis, which has shown no signs of abating.

The devastating impact of fentanyl is well-documented. A mere couple of milligrams can be fatal, with the drug cartels exploiting American laws by manipulating the chemical structure of the substance to create new, legal drugs. These fentanyl analogues are up to 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, posing an unprecedented threat to public health.

The DEA’s temporary order was a response to the extraordinary legal loophole exploited by drug traffickers. China has already outlawed all fentanyl-related substances, but the United States’ temporary ban is set to expire on February 6, 2020, leaving a gaping hole in law enforcement’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

California continues to be a main thoroughfare for fentanyl and fentanyl-like drugs arriving from China and Mexico, with federal law enforcement agents seizing over three-quarters of a ton of fentanyl at the six ports of entry with Mexico in 2019, a 20% increase from the previous year. Passing a permanent ban on fentanyl analogues would provide invaluable support to law enforcement as they continue to combat the opioid crisis in California and nationwide.

However, a number of organizations have voiced opposition to the proposed legislation, arguing that it does not ’embrace public health approaches to the overdose crisis.’ As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage communities, it is imperative that lawmakers take decisive action to address the crisis head-on. A permanent ban on fentanyl analogues is a crucial step in the right direction, and one that cannot be delayed any further.

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