Posted on 02/09/25
| News Source: FOX45
The opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 in expenses related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the healthcare system, according to a study obtained by Fox News Digital shows.
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office, released these findings on Friday.
The opioid epidemic has been an issue in the United States for years. There are claims that it has worsened by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid with roots in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico border.
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has been in the works of leveraging tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China as part of his plan to close off the border and reduce the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Critics say that these tariffs will lead to higher costs for U.S. consumers purchasing goods from those nations.
The study argues that the costs of the opioid epidemic “dwarfs even pessimistic estimates of the effects of tariffs,” according to Fox News Digital.
"Ever since his first entry into politics back in 2015, President Trump has been committed to tackling the opioid epidemic that is destroying American lives, families, and communities," White House deputy press Secretary Kush Desai told Fox News Digital on Friday.
A second component in this study was crime. The report found that “police protection, court proceedings, correctional facility use and property loss stemming from opioid-related crime cost the U.S. $63 billion,” Fox reports.
"The enormous economic cost of the illicit opioid epidemic to Americans, estimated at $2.7 trillion in 2023 alone, underscores the urgent need to control the flow of lethal drugs pouring in from foreign countries. The human suffering and financial burden inflicted by this epidemic are unsustainable," the study stated.
Trump and his administration have addressed this component through mass deportations of criminal migrants and other illegal immigrants. Law enforcement agencies along with the Department of Homeland Security have been conducting raids across the nation to deport illegal immigrants.
Mass deportations, enhanced border security coupled with tariffs are part of Trump’s plan to tackle the opioid epidemic raging through the United States.