The drug war: Why tariffs aren’t the answer for America

We live in a world awash with drugs, with possibly nowhere left untouched. In many countries — including the US, the world’s superpower — the drug situation continues to worsen, with tens of thousands of drug users dying from overdoses every year. Yet, most governments seem helpless in the face of this problem.

In a situation where drug use runs rampant, how should a government respond? US President Donald Trump has attempted to address the issue by targeting some of America’s trade partners. He has imposed additional tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, on the grounds that these countries did not take effective measures to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US. He also blamed Canada and Mexico for inadequate border security, alleging that both countries allowed drugs and criminals to easily enter the US. 

This is a simple tactic to deflect domestic attention. It is also overly simplistic to think that scapegoating or preventing the flow of fentanyl into the country will solve the problem. There are two sides to the drug issue: supply and demand. Therefore, a two-pronged approach is necessary, and tackling supply alone will not work. Besides, there are numerous drug production locations. Apart from the Golden Triangle and Afghanistan, almost all of South America serves as a base for drug cartels.

The US has previously waged drug wars in some Latin American countries, but they have been ineffective. Now, Trump has also threatened military action against drug cartels in Mexico. However, such threats largely appear to be mere bluster because Mexico is just one of many drug sources. 

Furthermore, the drug problem in the US is a protracted issue and may have now reached an irresolvable stage. US prisons are already overcrowded, and the situation with marijuana and opioids, including fentanyl, is spiralling out of control. As a last resort, the US has adopted a head-in-the-sand approach by decriminalising marijuana use, legalising its sale and redefining opioid drugs like fentanyl as prescription medications available at pharmacies.

Some say that the US’s current drug problem is more severe and deadly than the opium crisis in 19th-century China. Originally a highly effective clinical anaesthetic and painkiller, fentanyl has been exploited by drug dealers to create synthetic drugs sold at high prices, wreaking havoc on people’s lives. 

The severe drug problem in the US is, of course, rooted in complex domestic social factors, which I will not elaborate on here. However, the severity is indeed startling, as observed from official statistics. Over the past two decades or so, nearly a million Americans have died from opioid-related causes. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin, and just a two-milligram dose is enough to kill an average-sized adult. Over the past few years, deaths from fentanyl and other drug-related overdoses peaked in 2021 and 2022, with each year seeing over 100,000 fatalities. Last year, the number declined slightly to around 86,000. 

In recent decades, America’s handling of its drug problem has made the issue more complicated. One reason is the lack of stringent laws, which fails to effectively deter drug dealers. Many drug dealers end up behind bars, but those who are still outside continue to operate brazenly. Secondly, major pharmaceutical companies seeking to maximise profits have used lobbying and political donations to influence politicians, obstructing drug control legislation that would be unfavourable to them. This has led to the legalisation of marijuana and opioid sales, the decriminalisation of marijuana, and the marketing of fentanyl and similar substances under the guise of pain relief medications.

These major pharmaceutical companies may face lawsuits and lose some money, but business ultimately continues as usual. Last August, three drug distributors were sued by health insurers on the grounds of fuelling the opioid epidemic. The case was settled out of court for US$300 million. Before this, they were sued by state and local governments, who accused them of having lax controls that allowed massive amounts of addictive painkillers to be diverted into illegal channels. In the end, the case was also resolved by paying US$21 billion.

It is impossible to stamp out rampant drug use without truly stringent laws and harsh penalties. Trump once claimed that he would impose the death penalty on drug dealers like Singapore, but he has yet to take action. Perhaps he has opened too many fronts since taking office and neglected some issues.

Like the US, there are many countries that are losing ground in the war on drugs. When drug abuse has permeated society, even a well-intentioned government might not know where to start when tackling such the issue. Imposing capital punishment on drug dealers, like the case in Singapore, will inevitably face strong opposition and obstruction from vested interests and international human rights organisations. On the other hand, the occasional emergence of a strongman leader often leans towards violence. Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is a good example.

Duterte had already adopted a tough approach towards drug dealers and users when he was the mayor of Davao City. After becoming president in 2016, he was quick to expand his anti-drug policy nationwide. In his first year in office, over 2,000 people were killed in anti-drug operations.

The government claimed that the deceased were killed in gunfights, but some human rights organisations alleged that many cases could have been extrajudicial killings carried out by vigilante squads with official approval. On 11 March, when Duterte returned to Manila from Hong Kong, he was arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with the cooperation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and was immediately extradited to The Hague for trial.

A few days later, on the night of 15 March, the Donald Trump administration invoked the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act to expel over 200 individuals alleged to be Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, a Central American country. They were detained in El Salvador’s Terrorist Confinement Center, which opened in 2023.

This supermax prison is said to be the largest in Latin America, capable of holding up to 40,000 inmates. Under a pre-arranged agreement between El Salvador and the US, these individuals would be detained for a year, with the US paying El Salvador $6 million for their confinement. The agreement could also be renewed after the year.

Yes, you read that correctly — El Salvador, a small country with a population of about 6.5 million, built such a large and modern prison. This decision can be attributed to its president, Nayib Bukele, who will be 44 years old this year.

Bukele, reportedly of Palestinian descent, was first elected president in 2019. Upon taking office, he displayed strongman tactics, vigorously cracking down on gangs, similar to how the Singapore government eradicated secret societies in the past. Last year, he was re-elected with a landslide vote of 84%, and his party won 54 of the 60 seats in the legislative assembly, effectively creating a one-party dominance — an indication of his popularity.

Bukele’s mass arrest of gang members quickly filled up existing prisons, leading to the decision to build the largest prison in Latin America. Since its opening in 2023, more than 20,000 prisoners have been incarcerated there. Bukele also reached an agreement with the White House to accept “outsourced” US prisoners.

As the saying goes: in times of poverty, a good wife is missed in a household; in times of national turmoil, a good minister is missed in the nation. This could be why many countries are currently yearning and calling for political strongmen.

Inspired by Bukele, Xiomara Castro, the president of another small Latin American country, Honduras, announced last June that the country would build a mega-prison capable of holding 20,000 inmates to combat organised crime, including murder, drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping and money laundering.

Drugs can numb and offer a temporary escape from reality, but they also easily lead to addiction, leaving individuals apathetic and despondent. In some cases, drug users may even turn to crime, harming themselves and destroying their families. Fortunately, our government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs from the very beginning, implementing the death penalty for drug traffickers and strictly enforcing its anti-drug measures. It also actively educates the public on the dangers of drugs, in addition to arresting and rehabilitating drug users and giving them a chance to start anew.

Despite this, we still face a severe drug situation. On 21 March, the Malaysian police announced that the Royal Malaysian Police’s National Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) and the Australian Federal Police had jointly cracked the largest drug smuggling case in Malaysian history, successfully seizing crystal meth mixed with paraffin worth 1.062 billion ringgit. If this large batch of drugs had entered the market, it could have supplied 166 million drug users.

The Central Narcotics Bureau’s (CNB) 2024 annual drug situation report pointed out that the global drug situation continues to worsen, with drug production increasing and the number of drug users rising globally. In this region, methamphetamine use has surged. Governments around the world continue to face pressure from drug producers and vested interest groups to legalise drugs, especially cannabis. Meanwhile, transnational drug trafficking organisations also utilise the internet and digital platforms to sell drugs and launder money.

Last year alone, the CNB dismantled 25 drug syndicates and arrested numerous drug traffickers. What we need to pay more attention to is the trend of younger drug users; among the drug users arrested last year, the youngest was only 13 years old. This means that the fight against drugs is a long-term battle. Thus far, Singapore is one of the few countries that has successfully curbed drug proliferation, but the objective reality of how severe the situation is means that we cannot afford any sliver of complacency.

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “毒品泛滥 人间无净土”.

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