The numbers are stark and terrible–339,849 Americans (mostly under 50 years old) died from a drug overdose since 2018. Here are the numbers according to the CDC:
Year Deaths
2018 67,367
2019 72,151
2020 93,331
2021 107,000
Last year, for example, almost twice the number of Americans died from drug overdose–e.g., fentanyl and opiods–than were killed in the Vietnam War. When you add up the numbers from 2018 to 2021, we had 3 times the fatalities then from the deaths in Vietnam and Korea alone.
You do not have to be a math genius to understand that 294 Americans are dying each day from the drugs that are produced in China and smuggled across the U.S./Mexico border courtesy of Mexican drug cartels. To put this in perspective, 220 Marines were killed by a terrorist bombing in Beirut, Lebanon in in October, 1983. That attack awakened Americans to the reality of Middle East terrorism.
Where is the outrage now? The American public has been bamboozled into feeding a war in Ukraine and spending billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars on weapons that are being captured by the Russians or siphoned off by Ukrainian gangsters to be sold on the black market.
I am not trying to spin up support for a war against China. But our refusal to hold the Chinese accountable for their production of synthetic narcotics is fueling a lethal drug abuse crisis in the United States. Sober College provides a genuine sobering summary:
Often referred to as “legal highs,” synthetic drugs are made by chemists who avoid legal repercussions because of their ability to alter formulas and avoid arrest. By changing the formula to include compounds that are not listed among banned drugs, individuals are able to abuse synthetic drugs that cause effects similar to those caused by illegal drugs, and without fear of legal consequences. Since the compounds of synthetic drugs are constantly changing, it is nearly impossible to compile a complete list of them. Although some synthetic drugs have recently become illegal, the ever-changing formulas constant influx of new substances are a cause for concern and have made it difficult to stop the growing epidemic.
We should not spend one more dime in Ukraine or on the military until we have secured our southern border. The bloodbath from drug overdose is only part of the story of carnage ravaging America. Drug gangs in the major cities ruled by Democrats are plugging each other and unsuspecting civilians every day. Yet, the American public keeps swallowing the lie that we need to back overseas military adventures while blood is filling our streets and destroying families here. If you do not see the sickening absurdity of this then you have no heart.
Amen Larry. My own family has been touched by this tragedy.
As far as I am concerned the federal government is complicit in this crime. Reckoning will come and it will not be pretty.
As has mine. My 37 year old nephew died in my house in March from a fentanyl overdose. Horrific.
45 year old niece on March 24th. Two children.
this is rather similar to opium war in reverse. i highly doubt this is concerted effort by chinese state , more like they are selling stuff that american junkies want for the cheap. Rather ironic the so called communist china now become capitalist nation flooding US with cheap product addiction.
as for america public , other than the sheeps and the weak minded people , i guaranteed majority of american public dont want war o foreign soil and want their govt to focus on america first. alas the trolls and IO ops ran by western govt creat this artificial consent that war is what the public wants.
and anyone still wonder why trump won in 2016 ?
Right on, again, Larry.
Initially people could say, “Well only dopes take dope and get what they ask for sooner or later” and then look away. A good buddy’s nephew, in his early 20s, died last year from an accidental overdose. I was acquainted with the mother and the young man. I think most everyone can state something similar. It is now a ubiquitous issue. Americans cannot keep looking away.
A theory that I entertain is that the Democrats are on the take from the cartels. It explains a lot. The cartels are able to bring dope across the border. The cartels can have their agents – who are also here illegally – operate freely in democrat cities where illegal alien status is not acted on and bail reform permits the agents release when arrested.
And very sorry to read about your nephew. Such a tragedy.
i doubt it is ‘democrat’ or ‘republican’ doing this , more like at level of intelligence which is what CIA been doing for decades managing drug traffic outside CONUS. I dont know if they also do this inside CONUS
as with everything , for a scandal this gigantic scope it will take both corrupt ppl from dem and rep.. at this stage no one is clean
The drugs have to get across the border. Which party is the biggest advocate of open borders? Then the drugs need to move through cartel controlled distribution networks in the US. Which party is the biggest advocate of sanctuary cities? Then the drugs need to be sold on the streets. Which party is the biggest advocate of decriminalizing drug crimes – or any crime? Crime and drugs go to together. In any city, there is corruption among local politicians. That corruption – the money from it – flows uphill. That’s how the locals don’t get busted by the next level up. I’m not saying that Rs are squeaky clean. Some are in on the take from the cartels that control drug and human trafficking. But mostly it is the Ds who are biggest in the drug game. The Rs like the cheap labor from illegals and have other rackets.
There is nothing new or unique about my theory. There is a history. For example, Al Capone made so much money from bootlegging during prohibition that he “owned” the government in Chicago and his control reached to the state level as well. This was true in most of the larger cities that had a developing Cosa Nostra. I have seen FBI wire transcripts from eavesdropping on the Detroit Cosa Nostra family leadership wherein they are bragging amongst themselves how they pay the local cops and judges and law makers to be favorable to them. The Detroit CN “family” is not usually discussed, but was by far and away the most successful and impenetrable in the US. Real pros. They were also the biggest heroine traffickers in the country 1950s – 1970s (that began to shift to the Mexicans in the ’80s). The Detroit CN actually was the French connection (and Sicilian connection). Contrary to Hollywood’s version, the dope went from Detroit to NY and other cities. Or, when coming in directly to NY, it was arranged by Detroit.
Anyhow, drug and other illicitly sourced money being used to buy off government is an old tradition. The Mexicans now control the big dope money and the Ds are bending over backwards to accommodate them. 2+2 = 4.
Exactly organized crime is by definition impossible to stop, they infiltrate police departments, positions of power, bribe law enforcement officials.
As long as there is tons of money to be made by doing something illegal. A group of people will form a gang to do it this applies to street gangs, to wall street bankers, and congressmen insider trading.
In the USA we see endless disintegration of ethics, morality, rule of law etc as the ability to manipulate the public is now somewhere between science and an art form. Martin Armstrong has said repeatedly that all republics eventually become an oligarchy and collapse under the weight of their own corruption. We are living in it now.
“drugs that are produced in China and smuggled across the U.S./Mexico border”?
Most drugs, or their precursors, are produced in China, and fentanyl is one of them.
Fentanyl has nothing to do with China and everything to do with America which, with five percent of the world’s population, consumes eighty percent of its opioids.
Of 229 trafficking cases–in which 537kg of fentanyl-related substances were seized between last October and March–only seventeen seizures, weighing 6kg, originated in China.
The US Department of Justice says, “China has made great strides and the Department is encouraged by China’s recent class-wide controls of fentanyl-like substances.”
Americans consume opioids because of bribery, weak regulation, poor enforcement, over-prescription, and endemic social despair.
There’s not much China can do about that.
Do you exploit your friends’ weaknesses to enrich your self?
You do realize the triads have been around since the 18th century? And they still exist today just like the mafia or the yakuza
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triad_(organized_crime)
The precursors are already controlled substances in china
https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2018/01/05/china-announces-scheduling-controls-two-fentanyl-precursor-chemicals
just curious , will the opoid epidemic disaster in US suddenly vanish if china stop fentanyl import ? i mean the drug kept flowing into US before to feed the insatiable demand from US citizens. This is rather unfair to china to blame the whole drug addiction to them when a look in the mirror of US society drug habit should be first and foremost the primary target.
Ditto with many stuff that US govt kept blaming foreign nations for it’s own troubles , maybe a good look in the mirror and having a great responsble govt is the key to improving US as a nation and prioritrize it’s people’s wellbeing.
alas i see the future of USA bleak , for it’s ‘elected’ leaders kept using their citizens as sheep and bleed them dry. and they will plug this propaganda of blaming others but themselves , ‘high inflation is putin fault’ , ‘xxx is china’s fault’ , ‘yyy is OPEC’s fault’ …
there will never be any course correction for US as a nation unless their govt seriously took a look at their own fault and steer for course correction.
I’m guessing you’re referring to both US and China in this instance? Based on the last few US administrations,i wouldn’t say they view China as a friend, or anything close to that.
Deep sympathies for those with family affected.
I think your article makes it clear Larry, it’s not stopped as the current government does not want it stopped. Under Obama the Mexican gangs were basically handed guns.
I can only assume the rationale is the same rationale they use elsewhere i.e. chaos is good, distraction is good .
Let’s also remember the US gov funded Taliban/Mujahedeen, Ukranian Nazis, extreme groups in Syria. Maybe they want to use the Mexican cartels and Chinese drug gangs too. They can be useful to the now twisted madness of the CIA.
The same people funding extremists abroad benefit. Remember the Davos elite want less people on earth,, they want to kill the middle class.
The British first practiced divide and rule and the class system in their own country before taking it abroad to colonise.
The American government has divided and ruled all that’s left is to destroy free speech and create a firm class system. The top will try to rule the world. The lower classes of Americans, well we know they don’t matter much to the elite. They are pesky at voting time. But they are getting that sown up too.
We are witnessing a complete take over of the US and the world by a power structure that is neither democratic nor accountable.
Nothing should surprise us.
But maybe we can surprise them. All empires fall.
The border,drugs and Ukrainie also run cover.
US just took sanctions off proxy controlled South Syria, wheat and oil producing region, to take wheat and energy etc out to the US and basically cause starvation in Syria.
When we allow injustice anywhere it flourishes everywhere.
The challenge is how do we get hold of this juggernaut and stop there people. Which agencies, people and elites are calling all the shots. We need to name them.
Also they are really going after Trump. Legal proceedings all over. He is going to find it very very tough. They will finish him I think. They can’t risk him running.
I am actually amazed at what Biden has done.
Cancelled women. Made women compete in sport with men. Silenced and bullied any critics. Allowed harrassment of supreme justices. Afghanistan. Syria. Ukrainie. Possible East Africa war planned. Open border. Funding Nazis, though both sides allowed this already. Threatening India and other supposed allied countries. CRT. Appointment of paedophile friendly supreme court judge. Mass censorship of information. Loss of free speech, disinformation board. War with Russia. Risk of nuclear holocaust.
How long has this Administration been in office and all this chaos.
They better be careful if they spike the Don, DeSantis might decide to jump in.
That would be worst case for the Dems
While availability and price both affect drug use, the war on drugs continues to fail, miserably, since Reefer Madness, almost a century. While I greatly admire Mr Johnson, I strongly question hos support for more drug enforcement. Supply is not the problem. Dispair, hopelessness, bleak prospects, dictator bosses, a world ruled by idiots and theives who get away with it on international TV, a world where only the winners have worth, all of these are the causes.
Legalize all drugs, tax them and put the money into rehab..
legalization would bankrupt the cartels and the gangs
I can see legalization of cannabis and psychedelics (which are not addictive) and maybe even cocaine, but opioids? No way. Highly addictive, robs the soul of the user and dangerous in terms of ODs.
Cocaine Is highly addictive. I was addicted. I assure you that illegal only makes drugs more attractive. Being illegal has stopped nothing. Being legal would make it easier to admit and get help – and bankrupt the pushers. The strength of the addictiveness has nothing to do with quitting – nor does jail time
I understand and agree that the law should not be applied as a solution to users/addicts. OTOH, I do believe that the law should be applied severely to the dealers; not the dime bag level guys, the high level guys. I further believe that US SOCOM should make incursions into Mexico – with or without the Mexican govt cooperation – and wipe out the cartels’ leadership every few months + destroy stashes and infrastructure. Soon being a cartel boss would have a negative risk/benefit calculation.
Actually it does not. Look what is happening in Nevada. They legalized pot. Besides the usual restrictions applied to the sale of alcohol, they limit the amount you can buy. The Mexican cartel continues to sell, pricing their product just below the legal price. But they have no restrictions on who they sell to or how much they sell or how frequently. And, best of all, if they get busted it is no longer a drug felony. Sweet!
NORTHCOM Commander should be held to account. His AOR has been overrun.
https://www.21cir.com/2022/05/cia-nato-and-the-great-heroin-coup-how-miami-became-the-center-of-international-fascism-and-the-murder-of-president-kennedy/
you live a covert life, you get a covert life
the absence of praxis is the key to fetish
And then there’s the CIA and their long history of smuggling drugs into the US to get funds to spread their special form of love throughout the world. One almost gets the feeling that our illustrious rulers don’t give a rat’s ass about us.
CIA and all who work for them? hmmm..
…let’s blame the Chinese…
https://www.cinemax.com/warrior
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-book-tracks-hunter-biden-laptops
Demand will be met with Supply Economics
Censored?
What do you mean? You’re not censored.
Good. I live in California. It is junkie land; never mind the walking dead. You become indifferent to these insatiable wandering ghosts over time. Harden the heart! They are ruthless in their insatiable wandering and ability to use and play on empathy to use you and play with you. I had a sister recently od on prescription opiates; she thought she was queen bitch…”On se croit meche; on n’est que suif”. She loved to tell the story about how Daddy went to a far away exotic land to fight the “gorillas”; qu’est-ce que c’est que “guerrilla” stupida? Another great American adventure in thwarting self determination of a foreign people, and the inability, or shame, to tell your children how you earn money to put food on the table. Kids like that learn how to pretend to be good when they are busy experimenting on breaking bad. They have been lied to their whole lives! They don’t know any better.
For a couple of centuries now, Americans have time and again destroyed any attempt of self determination in Mexico, Central and south American; and as an historian, you know that is true. Not to mention the Middle East, Africa and the far east…the list is very, very long. Americans prop up the elite in those countries and make life unlivable for the rest, to the point where the only choice is to leave.
Why are you blaming the Chinese and the Mexicans?
Joe Biden’s son has published a book detailing his crack addiction. He is a useless piece of shit with an inexhaustible cash flow and a free lifetime get out of jail card; Cartman on crack, because Daddy’s connected.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/rand-paul-delays-vote-40-billion-ukraine-package-calls-spending-oversight
“It also contains $3.9 billion for European Command operations and would also authorize an additional $11 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which would allow Biden to authorize the transfer of articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval in response to an emergency. Biden had asked for $5 billion.”
Any wonder why stocks are bombing. Add to that $770 billion “budgeted” to the military in December 2020. Any wonder where confidence has gone? Hillary will never forgive losing to Trump. And Trump will never know why he really won. It has more to do with self infatuation instead of seeing oneself objectively; not mentioning the ability to be a true leader, car ce n’est pas dans notre univers de possibilites!
And then there are the poor Jews who suffered so much that now they are allowed impunity at being some of the best Nazis in history; what was once Palestine is now an urban concentration camp where snipers pick you off at will. The real “bromance? Netenyahau Trump and Kushner
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/13/slain-al-jazeera-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh-laid-to-rest
Do you think that the Russians and Chinese, not to mention the Mexicans or Rand Paul, can save U.S.?
https://themillenniumreport.com/2018/12/mena-cocaine-connection-when-the-bush-clinton-crime-family-ruled-arkansas/
Is it stupidity or hypocrisy or both that plagues this country from sea to shining sea. Heil Amerika Uber Alles Uber Alles…
For the record, i’m done being cynical. It is an honest question that i assume i already know the answer to after long hours of research and study. My assumptions have proven faulty in the past; i’m hoping and praying this one is proven wrong too…
Come to California. Chop some more trees down and drain the reservoirs for grapes; frack away, don’t mind the faults; flare the fuck out of that fracked gas and fill the air with methane til it dry lightnings every thing up in smoke…(Chevron, Point Richmond; https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/hidden-oil-wells/
How are the fires in New Mexico doing? Not even summer yet. Have you ever been told to evacuate your property to go somewhere nobody cares about you because the fires are all around?
Ahh Nancy: Sixth grade forever; along with her constituency:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3zG3yw8zDE
Born to lead the horde right off the cliff.
Hopefully more good news from the Russian Front. How are the Nazis holding out in the Mariupol steel plant? Une operation humanitaire, bien entendu. How wonderful to watch bullies bringing out their coward in the face of a formidable enemy. Hoping they are captured alive and Russians make their own war crimes tribunal. L’OAS Monsieur, et l’assassination de JFK? Just ask Herbert Walker and his pet CIA
Check out Warrior on HBO Max; it is Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu as he originally intended.
You like the fighter analogy: “If all those Chinks can fight like that, we’re fucked!” A great history of exploitation of the Chinese population in San Francisco and how civilization and culture equal resilience to the crooked white man’s cowardly ways and means. Bruce Lee
Pretty soon you will be able to use your talents to report the real war on the Chinese front. $770 billion plus another $58 billion and stocks and bonds to for Joe Daddy Son’s a crack head love you love you to puff puff puff about war general sir to invest everything on some ruthless Nazi/Jihad i terrorists to do the dirty work for you (what like Turkey’s ISIS in Syria? Yup!) “We came; we saw; he died” No worries Amerikkka slave markets are thriving in Libya after Hillary got her man.
This goes out to my Serbian friends who showed me hospitality in Amsterdam in the 90’s, and kindness, despite me being a naive, arrogant American, from that country that was cowardly bombing the shit out of theirs, making them refugees. Julian Assange, hero; Edward Snowden, hero. No mercy for junkies…no blame on Chinese and Mexicans. Your world is a sham; and you want to sham the rest of the world instead taking responsibility for your nihilism. We share one thing. We know the Russians are fighting the good fight in fighting the Nazis. Let’s hope they can save U.S. too. Rand could use some help.
I know: opinions are like ass holes; i got one tooo got nothin’ left to lose nuke the world. On s’en fout; c’est la fin de l’humanite.
Reap what you sow.
Ancient Chinese secret: “Warriors have only two paths: Die; or get better.”
Q? Anon!
The Chinese and Mexican criminal gangs are responsible for the production and transportation. I blame them for that. You are correct that the Americans, including my nephew, also bear responsibility. They pay with their lives. And I agree with your views on Assange and Snowden. History will be kind to them.
I’m very sorry to hear that Larry, my prayers go out to you and your family.
I think I mentioned on an earlier post here that a waitress friend of our’s almost lost her daughter (and a friend of the daughter’s) to fentanyl. Neither young woman was a druggie but someone had spiked their drinks with it at a bar. There seems to be plenty of fentanyl in Charlotte county.
Without a border, do we even have a country anymore? We’ve got Romanian gypsies here in my county now. At least the folks from Latin America want to work. Gypsies traditionally don’t work and beg/steal for a living.
All cartels from other countries do is expand the CHOICE of drug and price of some. It does not one iota affect people taking drugs.
I lived in East Africa. Incredibly eautiful place, kind friendly people
Why would one world order guys need borders? Just around their houses and estates. Everyone else get used to that.
You know what drugs they take in East Africa? Khat grown narcotic plantbuki chew, weed, changaa a local brew that gets you super high.
There are less street kids on East Africa than US as extended families and villages take in people and help them out. In Kenya primary education free, high literacy, education system in English. People are well educated. They get drugs are bad. Huge upper and middle class. Suburbs that rival Beverly hills.
Main source hard drugs in Kenya? Italians. Big Kenyan Italian population on its beautiful coastline. They bought in cocaine, heroine, you name it. Only place hard drugs are big is where Italians bought them and gave them to kids like sweets. They go out to see. Pick drugs. Fuck the population.
They later partnered with people they pushed into political positions even a governor or two.
You know what the few poor street kids take as a drug? They buy industrial glue from hardware and sniff it. It kills hunger first. Takes emotional pain away second.
Gov here is active trying to get these kids into care but they won’t go. Need their fix.
Shut all Mexicans and Chinese drug shipments. Nothing will chance. Kids screwed up or confused or peer pressured will move to glue and own lethal brews.
Not saying stopping hard drug supply has zero impact. I am saying it has almost zero impact. Need to address the cause not symptom.
And yes punish drug takers..zero deterrent if you just punish dealers. Zero.
Hard drug takers gamble and ruin lives, destroy families, harm society.
Smoking was reduced through massive advertising and restrictions on where you can smoke.
Why are there no serious campaigns for drugs? Ask yourself.
Why are kids age 5 taught CRT and transgender lies but not taught how to handle the vast array of drugs and options for alcohol abuse from.a young age. Why are there no serious programs on this.
Chinese and Mexicans just stepping in on old Italian, European and Black American drug trades.
Nothing changes. Everything changes. Everything the same.
Tucker Carlson shows that the US gov’t is funding drug addiction.. Go to 19.57 and the interview is about 5 minutes..
https://tv.gab.com/channel/gee/view/tucker-inflation-is-too-obvious-to-627e0012a2fa01b5c11ecdef
It’s not the Mexicans or the Chinese. Take a look at opium production in Afghanistan. It went almost to zero when the Taliban took control after the Russians left. The US came in and it was booming.
Why the US gov’t wants to addict and kill its own citizens is the mystery, just like why they want open borders. Who benefits?
Damned if I know.
It’s short sightedness. Drug lords are wealthy and not reticent to use violence. Therefore, drug lords become the power center in drug producing countries. So the US govt says to drug lords, “Let’s be friends. You can produce and distribute your dope and, in exchange, you’ll help us a little with achieving some key foreign policy objective in the region.”, But the dope kills and drug lords are cunning people by nature and often playing all sides to their advantage. The Ivy League types in US FP lack the street smarts and muscle to deal with such people long term.
Chinese officials on Monday announced an immediate ban on the production and distribution of all “fentanyl-related substances,” nationalreview.com
This from 2019, so a little confused re your article. thanks.
The problem is not “Mexican Cartels”. You Americans like your drugs.
They are part of your culture. Americans would buy them from Martians
if they got rid of Mexico or China
You are correct that American consumers are a critical part of the problem. Still does not absolve Mexico and China criminal organizations of their culpability.
Until he died, I was the caregiver for my eldest brother who was born with Cerebral Palsy. He was profoundly disabled. Alas, the poor guy suffered General Anxiety Disorder his last 4 years but because of the “opioid crisis” I never could get his physician or nurse practitioner to prescribe him an effective amount of anxiety medicine. I suspect they feared jeopardizing their licenses – which came under more scrutiny in recent years because of the crisis. My petite-sized mother took more benzodiazepines during her last few years than what my brother was permitted. He really suffered. I tried “medicinal marijuana” products to no avail. You’d think some caring medical professional would’ve taken pity on him and allowed him some comfort while he was on the home stretch. But no. How he made it to a ripe old age is a miracle. SO, while I certainly won’t make excuses for idiots who think they can use heroin or fentanyl recreationally without dire consequences, there ARE sick people who abuse substances in the attempt to self medicate. If my brother could’ve walked and talked, he probably would’ve sought street drugs for relief. Aside from that, no doubt a LOT of blame for the scourge of addiction lies with various aspects of our culture, but maybe if doctors could spend more time with their sick or troubled patients than they do these days, it could help somewhat.
People seem to have much more leisure time to kill than ever before too, which probably contributes to the addiction problem. I live downtown and have seen EMTs administer the expensive antidote NARCAN to the overdosed, pat them on their backs and send them on their way. Cops never show up to investigate – why not? I’d think the links between users and smugglers would be worth checking out, since our porous border situation is helping to enable such behavior. Maybe it’s just too porous at this point to police effectively.
Thanks for sharing. You’re a hero. Few understand the burden and heartache of those who take on the task of caring for the profoundly disabled. True love.
Don’t think we can talk about the failure of drug addiction without acknowledging how healthcare has turned the addiction crisis into a very profitable, growing revenue track (AKA Hunter Biden). Wonder if anyone has looked into how much hospital systems and pharmaceuticals (they make the drugs to addict you and then to treat your addictions, sweet) are profiting off the populace.
It’s claimed that these substances result in “permanent” changes to the brain, which is one of the reasons that getting off and staying off certain substances especially problematic. (Hmm, it’s as if the substances were designed to be especially “sticky” to human physiology).
Are the brain (and other physiological systems) damages/changes really permanent, and current treatments are the best to be had, or is it the loss of this revenue stream to risky to look for effective cures?
Or to say it more succinctly, it isn’t just the drug cartels and their money launderers who have a dirty hand in this tragedy.