Both Trump and Harris Would Crack Down on Fentanyl as President
Each party's candidate is jockeying to be more aggressive on fentanyl, whose use has proliferated as a direct result of government aggression.
Fentanyl
Recent Overdose Trends Underline the Folly of the War on Drugs
Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris support supply-side tactics that are worse than ineffective.
Drug Deaths Are Finally Declining. Nobody Really Knows Why.
One thing seems clear: Drug warriors do not deserve credit for the turnaround, although they deserve blame for the previous explosion in fatal overdoses.
Trump Repeats an 'Urban Legend' by Invoking 'Fentanyl Laced Marijuana'
At least he draws the right conclusion from this imaginary hazard, acknowledging the dangers created by prohibition.
Don't Blame Dealers for Fentanyl Deaths. Blame Drug Warriors.
Prosecutors' attempts to convert accidental overdoses into homicides are dangerous and morally dubious.
If Opiates Are Killing Americans, Why Won't the FDA Let Us Try an Alternative?
As the DEA relentlessly tightens regulations on pain meds, the FDA refuses to approve a safer alternative already being used in similar countries.
Trump's Anti-Crime Agenda Contradicts His Criticism of Biden's Legislative Record
Since he favors aggressive drug law enforcement, severe penalties, and impunity for abusive police officers, he may have trouble persuading black voters that he is on their side.
Government Data Refute the Notion That Overprescribing Caused the 'Opioid Crisis'
The CDC’s numbers show that pain treatment is not responsible for escalating drug-related deaths.
Drug Dealers Did Not Kill Cecilia Gentili. Prohibition Did.
If drug warriors really wanted to punish "those responsible" for the transgender activist's death, they would start by arresting themselves.
Don't Blame Decriminalization for Oregon Drug Deaths
Oregon lawmakers recently voted to recriminalize drugs after voters approved landmark reforms in 2020.
Republicans Use Fuzzy Math To Claim Large FBI, ATF Cuts in Budget Bill
The total appropriations package would cut $200 billion over 10 years, as the national debt expands by $20 trillion.
Oregon Legislators Overwhelmingly Vote To Recriminalize Low-Level Drug Possession
The reversal of a landmark reform was driven by unrealistic expectations and unproven assertions.
Did Decriminalization Boost Drug Deaths in Oregon?
Recent research finds "no evidence" that it did, undermining a key claim by critics of that policy.
A New Pain Medication Could Reinforce the Disastrous Crackdown on Prescription Opioids
When the government is systematically interfering with medical decisions, a non-opioid alternative may not actually increase treatment options.
'I Relied on Others,' 'Documents Were Filed in the Wrong Place,' and Other Memorable Excuses
The year's highlights in blame shifting.
DeSantis Gets Sex Trafficking Wrong at GOP Debate
"We're going to build a wall...I am not going to sit there and let sex trafficking go unabated," DeSantis said.
OxyContin's Reformulation Linked to Rising Suicides by Children
The study is one of several documenting the perverse impact of an intervention aimed at reducing substance abuse.
Review: When a Fentanyl Thief Slipped Through the Cracks, Women Suffered
A New York Times podcast tells a story about both the drug war and institutional incompetence.
The 'Whack Jobs' Were Right
Plus: A listener asks the editors to weigh in on a hypothetical executive order to establish an American Climate Corps.
Cops and Reporters Are Still Hyping the Halloween Threat Posed by Strangers With Cannabis Candy
A 2022 Canadian case involving what looks like a stoned mistake seems to be the closest real-world example of this purported danger.
Despite Debunking, Rainbow Fentanyl Myths Continue
Just as there are adult reasons for vape companies to sell flavored vape pods, there are adult reasons for drug dealers to color their fentanyl.
The Truth About Ron DeSantis' Fentanyl Horror Story
The culprit is prohibition, not lax border policing.
Ban Teenagers From Social Media, Vivek Ramaswamy Says, Because Fentanyl
The Republican presidential candidate ignores the lethal impact of the drug policies he avidly supports.
Oregon's Drug Problems Were Not Caused by Decriminalization
Prohibition is at the root of the hazards that have led to record numbers of opioid-related deaths.
Politicians Continue To Make a Mockery of 'Emergency Spending'
Legislators abuse the emergency label to push through spending that would otherwise violate budget constraints.
Prohibition Gave Us Tranq-Laced Fentanyl
Mixing other drugs with xylazine is driven by the economics of prohibition.
Methanol-Tainted Liquor and Xylazine-Tainted Fentanyl Illustrate the Same Prohibitionist Peril
While the lethal effects of Iran’s booze ban are widely recognized, politicians ignore similar consequences from U.S. drug laws.
Bombing Mexican Cartels Won't Stop Fentanyl
A Republican-sponsored resolution would authorize the president to "use all necessary and appropriate force" against foreigners involved in fentanyl trafficking.
Senators Want To Declare Fentanyl a National Security Threat
Plus: SCOTUS won't hear Reddit sex trafficking case, debt deal would increase spending on SNAP benefits, and more...
Panicked by Fentanyl Analogs, Biden Embraces the Mandatory Minimums He Claims To Oppose
A House-approved bill that the president supports would expand the draconian penalties he supposedly wants to abolish.
New Senate Bill Would Turn Online Services Into Narcs
An expanded surveillance state can’t solve problems created by drug prohibition.
Prohibition Gave Us Xylazine in Fentanyl. The Solution, Drug Warriors Say, Is More Prohibition.
The emergence of the animal tranquilizer as an opioid adulterant illustrates once again how the war on drugs makes drug use more dangerous.
FDA Will Finally Let You Get Naloxone Over the Counter
The life-saving drug stops opioid overdoses as they happen, restoring breathing and preventing death. Why did it take so long for the FDA to expand its use?
No, the U.S. Shouldn't Wage War Against Mexican Cartels
There's little reason to believe that any of the tactics Republican politicians are proposing would be effective in keeping fentanyl out of the country.
The Flap Over Biden's Comment About 2 Fentanyl Deaths Obscures Prohibition's Role in Causing Them
Both parties are complicit in the lethal policies that gave us fentanyl disguised as Percocet.
FDA Cracks Down on Animal Tranquilizer That Is Sometimes Mixed With Fentanyl
The agency's action ignores the government's own role in creating a black market in the first place.
My Daughter's School District Warns That Nicotine Vapers Could Be Unknowingly Inhaling Fentanyl
It is hard to find evidence of this "disturbing trend."
'America Has Lost the War on Drugs,' The New York Times Says, but Should Keep Fighting It Anyway
The paper pushes modest reforms while endorsing continued criminalization.
Calls To 'Close the Border' in Response to Fentanyl Deaths Are Misguided
As Biden mentioned fentanyl deaths in his State of the Union address, Republicans called on him to close the border. But "open borders" aren't to blame for overdoses.
Here's an Officer Who Might Have Actually ODed From Fentanyl Contact—but Not Because He Just Touched It
A North Carolina detective may have inhaled a significant amount during a drug bust.
Don't Let Police, Media Mislead You About Fentanyl Exposure Overdoses
Another officer claims to have been laid out just by being close to the drug. That’s not how it works.
The FDA Is Doing Something That Could Actually Cut Overdose Deaths
Naloxone could be available without a prescription by spring.
It's Far Past Time To Decriminalize Fentanyl Test Strips
Plus: Lawmakers "demanding action" against slurs on Twitter, FTC sues to stop Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard, and more...
Federal Government Still Tells Kids To Wear Masks on Halloween, For COVID-19 Safety
"Keep safe from COVID by following CDC advice to wear a mask."
For the Umpteenth Time, No One Wants To Give Your Kid Rainbow Fentanyl
Myths about drug-laced Halloween candy just won't go away—no matter how stupid they become.
Don't Blame Migrants and 'Open Borders' for Fentanyl Entering the Country
U.S. citizens traveling through legal ports of entry—not undocumented immigrants—are primarily to blame for fentanyl inflows.
Undeterred by Past Failures, the Press Goes All in on 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Panic
Even though no one's trying to give your kid rainbow fentanyl this Halloween, it hasn't stopped journalists from repeating the myth.
