While Trump threatens tariffs unless fentanyl trafficking stops, opioid overdoses continue to decline

Newly elected President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday with a 25% tariff on all goods from China, Canada and Mexico.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said tariffs would remain in place until unauthorized immigrants and “drugs, especially fentanyl” stop entering the US. But while Trump has proposed crackdowns on drug traffickers, overdose deaths have actually declined.

We discuss why with NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann.

This segment will air on November 26, 2024. Audio will be available after the broadcast.