A new report estimates that the epidemic of opioid-related drug overdoses is costing the United States $1 trillion every year.
The Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, a bipartisan commission in Congress, released its report on Tuesday examining the synthetic opioid threat to the U.S., including its origin, widespread nature, and other aspects.
“The availability of illegally manufactured synthetic opioids supplied to meet the country’s appetite for narcotics is a national crisis,” the commission concluded in the report. “These drugs are destroying lives and harming communities at historic levels.” The commission also noted that the growing number of overdose deaths is also a threat to “national security and economic well-being.”
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The commission initially convened in May 2020 to develop a “strategic approach to combating the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States.” But, the U.S. does not have the “data infrastructure to adequately measure the amount of illegally manufactured synthetic opioids consumed in the United States or the number of people who use them,” the report said.
If the U.S. is to push back on the growing spread of opioid use, then “Congress will need to work with departments and agencies to determine the appropriate levels of funding, keeping in mind that the current overdose crisis has cost the U.S. economy approximately $1 trillion annually in just the past few years,” the report said.
The report offers 76 recommendations for the Biden administration to consider while attempting to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids, including additional cooperation between federal agencies on the matter, assessing the state of drug control frameworks, reducing substance misuse locally, and encouraging other countries to extend their control over what chemicals or drugs are sold in relation to the production of synthetic opioids.
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Fentanyl has become the predominant drug in recent years, with Mexico becoming the dominant supplier in 2021. Border officials reported stopping more deliveries of fentanyl at the border than heroin in 2021.
Many of these drugs are acquired through legitimate and illicit Chinese suppliers, the 2020 DEA National Drug Threat Assessment said. Cartels then use the drugs and chemicals to produce counterfeit versions of common drugs, such as Oxycontin, Xanax, or Adderall, the DEA said. Fentanyl is connected to approximately 64,000 overdose deaths in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
