Finding external scapegoats to cure internal wounds: US unjustly blames China for its own fentanyl abuse

Cartoon by Ma Hongliang

Some U.S. officials have once again hyped fentanyl-related issues, blaming China for the rampant abuse of this opioid drug in the United States, and claiming they will push for legislation to sanction China.

The prevalence of fentanyl has become a serious public health crisis in the U.S. Statistics released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that in recent years, deaths caused by synthetic opioids, especially fentanyl, have risen sharply. According to U.S. media reports, the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said that 71 people died in July in that city from accidental overdoses, and 62 involved fentanyl.

It is completely unjustified for the U.S. to shift the blame for its domestic fentanyl abuse to China. This is entirely due to the failure of the U.S. government to properly regulate pharmaceuticals and curb the widespread drug abuse that has taken hold among Americans. Rather than finger-pointing and shirking responsibility, what the U.S. should do is to strengthen domestic control of prescription drugs and correct its current erroneous practices, instead of "seeking an external cure for an internal disease."