Chinese Crackdowns Cut US Fentanyl Supply, Trump Declares Pills Weapons of Mass Destruction
KEY POINTS
- â˘Researchers linked a 34% drop in fentanyl overdoses from mid-2023 to Chinese government crackdowns.
- â˘The drop reversed a 2023 overdose surge that killed over 100,000 people during the pandemic years.
- â˘Trump declared fentanyl a 'weapon of mass destruction' in 2025 despite expert reports singling out Venezuela.
In a stunning plot twist worthy of a rugged trade battle sitcom, Chinese government crackdowns in mid-2023 allegedly caused a 34% nose-dive in fentanyl overdoses across the US and Canada by 2024, according to researchers published in Science on May 16, 2024. This is the first effective disruption of synthetic opioid overdoses since the COVID pandemic surge claimed over 100,000 American lives in 2023. Meanwhile, the Trump administration, apparently unsatisfied with naming fentanyl a 'dangerous drug,' went full apocalyptic by declaring illicit fentanyl a "weapon of mass destruction" in November 2025, despite DEA reports denying Venezuelan fentanyl trafficking. Reddit chatter helped prove these nerdy scientists right. It seems ignoring street-level arrestsâlong criticized for racial biasâis now cool because apparently big-picture diplomacy works better than badge-happy binge policing.
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Turns out yelling 'weapon of mass destruction' at drugs doesnât work as well as China just saying 'enough.' Weâre all still terrible drivers of our own lives, just now with fewer pills on the streets and way more Twitter takes.
When your drug policy is less effective than diplomatic awkwardness but hey, naming fentanyl a WMD sure sounds fun at parties.
Pro tip: Instead of racially profiling street dealers, just ask China to stop sending the stuff. Revolutionary, I know.
Source: Axios | Published: 1/9/2026 | Author: April Rubin
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