Understanding the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis: US-Mexico Solutions
Fentanyl and other opioids are fueling the worst drug crisis in the history of the United States. According to the CDC, 107,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. A staggering 67 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Furthermore, synthetic opioid-involved death rates increased by over 56% from 2019 to 2020 and accounted for over 82% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2020. The rate of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids was more than 18 times higher in 2020 than in 2013.
While the López Obrador administration has intensified efforts to seize precursor chemicals arriving predominately from China, in addition to identifying and destroying clandestine laboratories, and designating the navy to oversee ports, the flow of fentanyl to the United States continues to increase. In order to address this mutual challenge, strengthening U.S.-Mexico cooperation on illegal trafficking of opioids is key.
To analyze the drivers behind the opioid epidemic, how to increase US-Mexico cooperation against cross-border organized crime and illicit trafficking, and the preventive measures and treatment options available to face this ongoing challenge, please join us on Monday, September 18 from 11:00am to 12:30pm EST.
11:00 am – 11:05 am
Introduction
Earl Anthony Wayne, Former Career Ambassador to Afghanistan, Argentina, and Mexico; Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, School of International Service, American University
11:05 am – 11:25 am
Keynote Address
Charisse Phillips, Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
11:25 am – 11:30 am
Panelist Introduction
- Francisco Rivas, President, National Citizen Observatory of Security, Justice, and Legality
11:30 am – 11:50 am
Opening Questions
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Jaime Arredondo, Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health and Social Policy and scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use, Research, University of Victoria
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Victoria Dittmar, Author and Project Manager at Insight Crime
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Marya Hynes, Chief of CICAD’s Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, OAS
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Daniel Ciccarone, Professor Family Community Medicine, UCSF
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Gretchen Bergman, Executive Director, A New PATH
Moderated by Lila Abed, Deputy Director, Mexico Institute
11:50 am – 12:15 pm
Roundtable Discussion
Moderated by Lila Abed, Deputy Director, Mexico Institute
12:15 pm – 12:25 pm
Conclusions
12:15 pm – 12:25 pm
Closing Remarks
- Earl Anthony Wayne, Former Career Ambassador to Afghanistan, Argentina, and Mexico; Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, School of International Service, American University
Moderators
Former Career Ambassador to Afghanistan, Argentina, and Mexico; Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, School of International Service, American University
Panelists
Hosted By
Mexico Institute
The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis Téllez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute. Read more