US President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to coordinate and intensify efforts to disrupt the supply chain of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
In a national security memorandum addressed to agencies ranging from the FBI to the Postal Service, Biden wrote, “Tackling the deadly scourge of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids has been a top priority since my first day in office. I have made combating this deadly epidemic and saving American lives a centerpiece of my Unity Agenda.”
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid between 50 to 100 times more powerful than heroin, has become increasingly common in recreational drugs. Its widespread availability has led to a surge in overdose deaths across the US, with the CDC announcing in May 2020 that the past year saw 81,230 drug overdose deaths — the highest figure for any 12-month period in recorded US history.
Biden’s directive calls for federal agencies to “engage collectively and collaboratively, employing all available tools, in support of the shared goal of materially and sustainably disrupting the illicit fentanyl supply chain.” An accompanying statement from the President warned, “Far too many of our fellow Americans continue to lose loved ones to fentanyl. This is a time to act. And this is a time to stand together — for all those we have lost, and for all the lives we can still save.”
Key elements of Biden’s strategy include bolstering intelligence coordination across agencies, increasing information sharing between intelligence and law enforcement agencies, prioritizing strategic actions aimed at disrupting the supply chain, and improving coordination with the private sector. The memo also mandates the creation of a National Security Council Fentanyl Disruption Steering Group to oversee new policies.
This directive builds on previous efforts, including imposing sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the global illicit drug trade and heightened border seizures.
Fentanyl has emerged as a critical issue in the 2024 presidential race, with Republicans attributing the surge in overdose deaths to insufficiently strict border policies under Biden. The White House has countered this narrative, emphasizing that the Biden-Harris administration has invested over $82 billion in treatment, 40 percent more than the previous administration.
The opioid crisis, triggered in the late 1990s when Purdue Pharma and other companies aggressively marketed prescription opioids as safe and non-addictive, has claimed countless lives. The combination of aggressive marketing and inadequate regulation led to widespread misuse of drugs like Purdue Pharma’s OxyContin. As regulators tightened prescription flows, users transitioned to heroin and later to potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
Biden’s announcement comes amidst a series of significant policy measures following his announcement that he would not seek reelection this November.