How China's Chemical Crackdown Might Be Saving Lives Across the Border
USAThu Jan 15 2026
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Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, has been a major problem in the U. S. for over ten years. But something interesting happened around mid-2023: the number of overdose deaths started to drop. Researchers think this might be because of changes happening in China, where many of the chemicals used to make fentanyl come from.
The study looked at data from the U. S. and Canada. They found that the quality of fentanyl seized by the DEA went down. Also, there were fewer seizures and more people complaining online about not being able to find the drug. All of these changes started around the same time that overdose deaths began to decrease. This suggests that there might have been a disruption in the supply of fentanyl.
China has long been a major supplier of the chemicals needed to make fentanyl. Even though China agreed to regulate these chemicals a few years ago, drug traffickers found ways around the rules. But recently, China has been shutting down chemical companies and increasing oversight. This might be making it harder for traffickers to get the chemicals they need.
Interestingly, Canada saw a similar drop in fentanyl-related deaths around the same time as the U. S. , even though Canada's drug policies are very different. This makes researchers think that the drop in deaths might be because of something happening in China, not because of changes in U. S. or Canadian drug policies.
The timing of China's enforcement actions is a bit of a mystery. A formal agreement between the U. S. and China was announced in November 2023, but overdose deaths had already started to decrease before that. Some experts think that China might have started cracking down on chemical companies before the public agreement.
The drop in overdose deaths is a good sign, but the opioid market is known for being adaptable. Researchers say that to keep making progress, both the U. S. and China need to keep working together to cut off the supply of fentanyl at its source. At the same time, the U. S. needs to keep supporting public health efforts to reduce demand for the drug.
