美国国家公共电台 NPR--White House pushes strategy to slow overdoses as street drugs grow more deadly

White House pushes strategy to slow overdoses as street drugs grow more deadly

Transcript¹

"We must approach this crisis with a sense of urgency that prioritizes saving lives as our North Star," said Dr. Rahul Gupta, head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). He spoke² Wednesday before a Senate oversight³ committee.

Senate Caucus⁴ on International Narcotics⁵ Control/Screenshot for NPR

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it plans to cut the number of fatal overdoses in the United States by 13 percent by 2025, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives.

That would mean reversing a catastrophic four-fold rise in drug deaths that began in the late 1990s and accelerated again during the pandemic.

"We must approach this crisis with a sense of urgency that prioritizes saving lives as our North Star," said Dr. Rahul Gupta, head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). He spoke Wednesday before a Senate oversight committee.

But some lawmakers questioned whether policies embraced by the White House go far enough to help people living with addiction⁷ survive.

There is also growing skepticism about the administration's ability to slow the supply of illicit⁸ fentanyl, a powerful and highly addictive⁹ opioid smuggled¹¹ from Mexico.

A record 107,622 people in the United States died from overdoses in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In his prepared remarks, Gupta said drug deaths are "unravelling¹² the very social fabric¹³ of our nation."

Drug cartels are developing even more deadly street opioids

Gupta also acknowledged the growing power of Mexican drug cartels and other international narcotics gangs that "operate seamlessly across borders and cooperate with remarkable¹⁴ efficiency."

According to government officials, the cartels now contaminate much of the illicit drug supply in the United States with fentanyl, driving the latest surge of fatal overdoses.

Until recently, most street opioids — including heroin¹⁵ and black market pain pills — were made from chemicals extracted from poppy plants.

Fentanyl, by contrast, is produced using industrial chemicals, which means it's cheaper to make, far more potent⁶ and easier to smuggle¹⁰.

Gupta noted¹⁶ drug gangs are continuing to develop new, even more powerful synthetic¹⁷ opioids that are now reaching cities and small towns across the country.

"A Pandora's box has been opened. We can expect to see much more potent substances [in the future]," he testified.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat¹⁸ from Rhode Island who chaired Wednesday's hearing, praised broad outlines of the Biden team drug strategy.

An ambitious plan, but will it work?

But Whitehouse questioned whether the plan does enough to reduce corruption¹⁹ and illicit drug production in countries such as China, Colombia, India and Mexico.

He also said the U.S. government lacks the tools to track whether this plan is succeeding.

"Right now, we don't have a timely reporting of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses, or a reliable baseline for basic information, like how much money we have denied and seized from drug trafficking organizations," he said.

A report made public Wednesday by the General Accountability Office also found the ONDCP drug strategy document, unveiled in April, failed to detail resources needed to slow drug trafficking and reduce overdose deaths.

"We found that while the national drug control strategy outlines goals, it does not provide an estimate of the federal funding or other resources needed to achieve these goals," the analysis concluded.

Drug overdose deaths have emerged in recent years as a kind of shadow epidemic²⁰ to the COVID-19 crisis. Disruptions caused by pandemic made it more difficult for many people experiencing addiction to find treatment and support.

Drug treatment experts say it also increased stress and isolation²¹ for many individuals, triggering a surge in drug and alcohol use.

Drug deaths spiked²² from roughly 185 per day in 2019 to nearly 300 per day now, according to the latest provisional data from the CDC.

A new focus on "harm reduction"

The Biden team hopes to boost spending on drug treatment and make medications that help reverse opioid overdoses far more widely available.

The strategy also aims to provide more treatment to prison inmates²³ experiencing addiction.

It also sets a goal of sharply increasing active investigations²⁴ of the biggest Mexican drug cartels

But critics say the White House has yet to embrace life-saving strategies popular in a growing number of other countries.

Those include as creation of "safe-consumption" sites where people with addiction can take street drugs under medical supervision²⁵.

For the first time in the United States, two such centers are operating in New York City. The non-profit On Point NYC said last month its program had "averted²⁶ 314 drug overdoses since opening" in November.

In an interview in October 2021 with NPR, Xavier Becerra, head of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, suggested the Biden administration might allow similar "harm reduction" programs nationwide.

"We're not going to say, 'But you can't do these other type of supervised consumption programs that you think work or that evidence shows work,' " Becerra said.

But his office quickly walked back those remarks, saying HHS "does not have a position on supervised consumption sites" and noting such programs are "a matter of ongoing²⁷ litigation."

Drug war era still shapes policy debate

The policy response to the drug crisis in the United States has long been sharply divided. Public health advocates believe in a "harm reduction" model aimed at reducing stigma²⁸ for those experiencing stigma and providing them with medical care.

Others back a "drug war" model, arguing tougher law enforcement and border security might eventually curb²⁹ drug supply.

During Wednesday's hearing, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said harm-reduction efforts aimed at supporting people with addiction could go to far, encouraging dangerous drug use.

"I'm worried that making drugs more accessible is what this administration calls drug control," Grassley said.

But many drug treatment experts say the interdiction³⁰ model, which led to waves of mass incarceration³¹ that often targeted Black and Hispanic men, hasn't worked to curb the supply of street drugs.

Falko Ernst with the International Crisis Group said the situation deteriorated³² further in recent years, after the Mexican government withdrew from efforts to target drug gangs and their profits.

"It's the norm for Mexican authorities to collude with criminal actors," Ernst said. "They form the same networks to the degree that you often don't have a distinction between the state and organized crime."

While debates over drug policy play out in Washington, fatal overdoses have continued to rise. Studies show high rates of addiction have devastated³³ whole communities.

"The economic costs of the epidemic to be a staggering $1 trillion a year and up to 26% of the loss in U.S. labor³⁴ force participation³⁵ can be attributed to people suffering from addiction," Gupta told the Senate panel on Wednesday.

In a hopeful note, however, the CDC released data Wednesday suggesting drug overdose deaths may have plateaued after several years of sharp increases.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

4 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

5 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

7 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

8 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

9 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

10 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

11 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

12 unravelling   

解开，拆散，散开( unravel的现在分词 )； 阐明； 澄清； 弄清楚

参考例句：

• Nail head clamp the unravelling of nail exteriorize broken nails and clean. 钉头卡钉，拆开钉头取出碎钉并清洁。
• The ends of ropes are in good condition and secured without unravelling. 缆绳端部状况良好及牢固，并无松散脱线。

13 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

14 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

15 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

16 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

17 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

18 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

19 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

20 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

21 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

22 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

23 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

25 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

26 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

27 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

28 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

29 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

30 interdiction   

n.禁止；封锁

参考例句：

• the Customs Service's drug interdiction programs 海关的毒品查禁方案
• In addition to patrol duty, blastboats are dispatched for planetary defense and interdiction missions. 除了例行巡逻，炮艇还被赋予行星防御和封锁的任务。

31 incarceration   

n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭

参考例句：

• He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
• Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句

32 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

33 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

34 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

35 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。