November 27, 2023
On November 21, 2023, President Joe Biden held a meeting on the progress made to counter the flow of fentanyl into the United States. As shared by the White House Office of Political Strategy and Outreach, "President Biden has made beating the overdose epidemic a key priority in his Unity Agenda for the nation, including a focus on cracking down on global illicit drug trafficking and disrupting the flow of illicit fentanyl and its precursors."
President Biden stated during his remarks, "Our administration is taking historic steps to expand-access to lifesaving public health services and break down longstanding barriers to treatment for substance use disorder. We are focused on prevention, harm-reduction, treatment, and recovery." He continued, "But this challenge also has roots outside our borders; it's a global challenge that demands global action, so we're pursuing stronger international coordination, to strangle the flow of these deadly drugs."
The President commented on important progress made last week with China and Mexico, highlighting the U.S. and China resuming counter-narcotics operations, and a new emphasis on stopping the flow of components to make drugs such as fentanyl, including chemicals and pill presses.
Click here to hear President Biden's remarks in full, and click here to access a fact sheet on the Biden-Harris Administration's progress in the fight against global illicit drug trafficking released the previous week.
