Internal disease and external treatment are not feasible (Zhong Sheng), drug control in the United States | problem | United States

On the issue of drug control, the United States must face its own problems and cannot shy away from seeking medical treatment. Attacking and smearing China cannot cure the chronic problem of drug abuse in the United States, and will only delay the drug control problem in the United States into a greater social crisis

Shaking the blame and blaming others is an increasingly common tactic used by the US in recent years. The US Department of Justice recently announced that it is suing multiple Chinese companies and several Chinese citizens on suspicion of producing and selling fentanyl chemical precursors, which is another example of its habitual shift of blame. The use of phishing by US law enforcement personnel in third countries to lure Chinese citizens and brazenly prosecute Chinese entities and individuals is a typical form of arbitrary detention and unilateral sanctions, which is completely illegal and seriously damages the basic human rights of Chinese citizens and the interests of Chinese enterprises. The root cause of the domestic drug proliferation in the United States lies in itself. The US attempts to address its concerns about drug control through pressure, coercion, and illegal means. This internal and external treatment approach is simply not feasible.

China has taken the lead in categorizing fentanyl substances globally, playing an important role in preventing the illegal production, trafficking, and abuse of fentanyl. In December 2018, China and the United States agreed to take active action to strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, drug control, and other areas, including the control of fentanyl like substances. On May 1, 2019, China included fentanyl like substances in the Supplementary Catalogue of Controlled Varieties of Non Medicinal Anesthetic Drugs and Psychotropic Drugs. This is the first time in China that a certain type of substance has been classified and managed, providing a strong legal basis for combating and punishing fentanyl related crimes. China has also implemented unprecedented efforts and extraordinary measures to address the issue of fentanyl, ensuring the implementation and effectiveness of various measures for the classification and management of fentanyl like substances. The strong strength and positive results of China's governance of the fentanyl issue have demonstrated a truly responsible attitude.

The US accuses China of being the main source of fentanyl like substances in its domestic market, completely disregarding facts and smearing them recklessly. The so-called precursor of fentanyl mentioned by the United States is a common chemical. According to international practices and practices, ensuring that international goods are not used for illegal purposes is the basic responsibility of importing enterprises, and it is also a legal obligation of the importing country's government. The United States does not regulate domestic enterprises and individuals, but unreasonably sanctions the Chinese institutions responsible for drug control work, smears and slanders China on drug control issues, illegally sanctions Chinese enterprises, openly lures and accuses Chinese citizens. This kind of hegemonic behavior that tramples on international law and implements "long arm governance" seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese institutions and citizens, and seriously undermines the foundation of Sino US drug cooperation.

The frequent hype about the fentanyl issue in the United States is nothing more than finding scapegoats for its own drug control problems. The United States is the country with the most serious drug problem in the world and has not yet officially classified fentanyl like substances. In recent years, the number of Americans dying from drugs and drug abuse has sharply increased. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in June this year, over 109000 Americans died from drug overdoses from January 2022 to January 2023. According to the International Narcotics Control Bureau, the United States is the world's largest producer and consumer of fentanyl drugs, with 5% of the world's population consuming 80% of the world's opioid drugs. Marta Sokovowska, Deputy Director of the Center for Substance Use and Behavioral Health at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in the United States, pointed out that drug abuse has become one of the most destructive public health crises in the country.

The proliferation of drugs in the United States is the result of multiple factors, including economic interests, lobbying groups, and social culture. The federal and state governments in the United States have inadequate regulation of drugs and drug abuse, and even continuously push for legislation to legalize marijuana and other substances under the lobbying of interest groups, leading to an increasing number of teenagers becoming victims. Large pharmaceutical companies in the United States have invested a large amount of funds to support experts and associations in promoting the "harmless opioid drugs" theory, thereby promoting the legalization of drugs, encouraging pharmacies to vigorously promote drugs, and physicians to prescribe drugs indiscriminately, contributing to the drug problem. According to a 2022 study by Robin Goldstein and Daniel Sumner, scholars at the University of California, Davis, one of the "daydreams" of promoting marijuana legalization is the intention to make legal marijuana "a new cash cow for the government" through taxation. In 2022, legal cannabis sales in the United States have exceeded $30 billion, and it is expected that the US cannabis market will reach $65 billion by 2030. Cannabis related companies, organizations, and politicians engage in money and power transactions, forming interest groups and allowing drugs and drug abuse to escalate, reflecting the reality of the failure of drug governance in the United States.

On the issue of drug control, the United States must face its own problems and cannot shy away from seeking medical treatment. Attacking and smearing China cannot cure the chronic problem of drug abuse in the United States, and will only delay the problem of drug control in the United States into a greater social crisis. The US should stop blaming and immediately lift sanctions against China's drug law enforcement agencies, stop using fentanyl as an excuse to sanction, prosecute Chinese companies and citizens, and implement reward based arrests and arbitrary detention. Chinese citizens who have been illegally arrested should be immediately released.