Correlation doesn't always equal causation, but sometimes, well...
China's fentanyl crackdown (which correlates directly with Trump taking office and cracking down on China) appears to have resulted in drug overdose deaths declining in the United States.
Who could have seen it coming?
Yes, according to research cited in Axios, American lives are being saved everyday since Trump has pressured China to cut it out with the fentanyl.
According to Stat News' analysis of the study, the downturn began at the end of 2023 and has since continued in a sharp drop off.
Here's the CDC's chart on the drop of overdose deaths:
Here's more from WaPo:
The embassy said that between October 2023 and August 2025, the Chinese government shut down 286 companies and forced more than 500 to delete information on chemical sales. About 160,000 ads were removed in that time, the statement said.
'China has been helping the U.S. tackle the fentanyl issue and is willing to continue the cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect,' the embassy said.
In a statement, the White House did not address the findings of the paper but credited Trump for moving to 'secure the southern border,' striking 'narcoterrorist drug boats' and leveraging his 'dealmaking prowess to stop the influx of fentanyl precursors from China.'
Whatever the cause, we can all be happy that the overdose deaths are continuing to drop.
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