US, not China, to blame for fentanyl crisis By Kong Qingjiang | China Daily | Updated: 2024-08-28 07:49

US, not China, to blame for fentanyl crisis By Kong Qingjiang | China Daily | Updated: 2024-08-28 07:49 https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202408/28/WS66ce6608a31060630b92543d.html Fentanyl is a highly synthetic opioid primarily prescribed by doctors as an analgesic or pain-reliever. But since the abuse of fentanyl can lead to drug addiction and even death, most countries have included it in their controlled substances' list. The easy availability of fentanyl in the United States, however, has led to a serious social crisis. In fact, the US is the world's largest producer and consumer of fentanyl-based drugs, and Americans, who account for 5 percent of the world's population, consume 80 percent of the opioids, including fentanyl, in the world.