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China Cracks Down on Synthetic Opioids Amid Global Drug Crisis 🌍💊

China Cracks Down on Synthetic Opioids Amid Global Drug Crisis 🌍💊

China has stepped up its fight against synthetic drugs, adding nitazenes—a potent class of opioids linked to overdose deaths worldwide—to its controlled substances list. The move comes as authorities warn of "rapidly evolving" drug threats and cross-border trafficking challenges. 🚨

Why It Matters

Nitazenes are up to 50x stronger than fentanyl, causing severe respiratory issues and fatalities. With synthetic opioids fueling a U.S. overdose crisis (80,000 deaths in 2024 alone), China emphasizes its role as a "responsible global player" in narcotics control. 💡

Global Tensions & Team-Ups

While China launched a U.S.-China anti-drug task force this year, trade tariffs from the Trump era are complicating collaboration. Beijing insists the fentanyl crisis is "America’s problem to solve," despite banning fentanyl-related substances in 2019—a global first. 🌏🤝

Tech vs. Traffickers

New psychoactive substances (46 added last July!) are "designed to evade detection," says narcotics chief Wei Xiaojun. Think: ever-changing chemical formulas and dark web sales. China’s response? Smarter AI tracking and tighter global intel sharing. 🔍💻

As synthetic drugs reshape the underground market, this crackdown shows how innovation cuts both ways—for dealers and those chasing them. 🕵️♂️✨

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