1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated January 29, 2021Illicit Fentanyl and Chinas RoleAddressing illicit fentanyl in the context of the ongoing opioid crisis is both a domestic and foreign policy issue for the 117th Congress. According to U.S. estimates, synthetic opioids, including predominantly
2、foreign-sourced fentanyl and fentanyl-related compounds (analogues), killed more Americans in the past 12 months than any other type of opioid. In addressing the international dimensions of the problem, policymakers have faced challenges in stopping fentanyl, fentanyl-related substances, and emergin
3、g synthetic opioids from entering the United States. In recent years, counternarcotics attention has focused on reducing fentanyl flows from China. Background Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that has been used medically as a painkiller and an anesthetic since it was first synthesized in 1959.
4、Due to fentanyls potential for abuse and addiction, the United Nations (U.N.) placed it under strict international control in 1964. In the United States, it is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), pursuant to the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, as amen