Trump’s Expanded Drug War Will Make Overdose Crisis Worse, Experts Say
An executive order declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction could remove supports that keep people alive.
A harsh crackdown on painkiller prescribing in the U.S. and the rise of fentanyl over the past 15 years is associated with a surge in fatal overdoses that peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic and has long provided fodder for political fearmongering. However, from 2023 to 2024 the Centers for Disease Control recorded a nearly 24 percent decrease in overdose deaths linked to opioids, stimulants, alcohol, and other drugs, a remarkable decline after more than a decade of crisis.
Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina’s Injury Prevention Research Center and opioid data lab, told Truthout in May that years of difficult work by frontline activists and public investments in health care were finally paying dividends. Overdose deaths in mid-2024 were down 30 percent compared to peak levels in mid-2023, and Dasgupta credited easier access to addiction treatment and frontline harm reduction services, not drug policing or the Border Patrol.
By Mike Ludwig , Truthout Published December 19, 2025
I've been prescribed Oxycodone but never the Fentanyl patches for the osteoarthritis. I fortunately was able to get surgery to correct the situation, but the arthritis I'm experiencing is tolerable. Many people age 45 and older with more severe rheumatoid arthritis aren't so lucky if they lose medical coverage. |
