Washington, June 11 (IANS) India and China must work together to confront what could become “the defining problem of the future for humanity”, former White House drug policy chief Rahul Gupta said, warning that no country is immune from the growing threat posed by synthetic drugs and fentanyl trafficking networks.
“No country is immune from the global synthetic threat,” Gupta told IANS in an exclusive interview. “Every third person walking the earth is either an Indian or a Chinese. So it’s important for those two countries to work together on this particular problem, which may become the defining problem of the future for humanity.”
Gupta, who served as Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy during the Biden administration, said the fentanyl crisis has become a global challenge that requires coordinated action from governments, law enforcement agencies and public health systems.
He said recent progress in reducing overdose deaths in the United States has been driven by two key factors: a decline in the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to Mexico and a major expansion of treatment and overdose-prevention programmes.
“We know as evidence that the precursors from China that are being shipped to Mexico to make fentanyl and we smuggled up to the United States have significantly dropped since about 2023,” Gupta said.
He added that wider access to naloxone, expanded treatment services and telehealth programmes had also helped save lives.
“These things combined have been very significant in saving tens of thousands of American lives for the last two to three years,” he said.
Gupta welcomed continued engagement between Washington and Beijing on the issue and said President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping demonstrated that fentanyl remains a priority for the United States.
“It demonstrates that the United States will continue to focus on the issue of fentanyl,” he said. “It is important to continue that pressure on the People’s Republic of China because the relationship is important, but it’s also important as we seek results, and the results are gonna be measured in American lives.”
At the same time, Gupta cautioned that recent gains may be slowing.
“What we know from the recent numbers is that the drop in numbers is beginning to flatten. What that means is that the steep declines are no longer steep,” he said. “So this is even more important than we double and triple down our efforts now to ensure that every American life that can be saved is saved.”
Asked about India, Gupta said the country has recognised the seriousness of the challenge and has shown a willingness to respond.
“India has been willing to step up and act as necessary,” he said, noting that India’s large chemical industry also faces risks from criminal elements involved in illicit drug supply chains.
Referring to Punjab, which has long struggled with drug abuse, Gupta said authorities should continue strengthening prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts.
“I was recently, this year, in Punjab. I met with the health minister as well as the director of health, who seemed to be very forward-leaning to address this issue and would like to see this expand to save lives,” he said.
Gupta said cooperation between India’s central and state governments would be critical to tackling the crisis. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised concerns about the drug threat at international forums and said efforts to expand treatment should continue alongside action against traffickers.
The fentanyl crisis has emerged as one of the most serious public health challenges facing the United States. Synthetic opioids have been responsible for a large share of overdose deaths in recent years, prompting successive administrations to pursue a combination of law-enforcement, public health and international cooperation measures.
–IANS
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