By — P. J. Tobia P. J. Tobia Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/china-feeding-u-s-s-deadly-synthetic-drug-habit Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Is China feeding the U.S.’s deadly synthetic drug habit? World Sep 23, 2015 5:51 PM EDT It’s as easy as ordering a pair of shoes from Zappos. Only the product is more dangerous and deadly than a pair of stilettos: synthetic drugs, almost all coming into the country from China. How are these drugs trafficked into the U.S.? And what is being done to stop their distribution? » Subscribe in iTunes » Subscribe using RSSIn the last year, there have been massive busts in China. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security says there were more than 50,000 drug cases made by prosecutors. Police there regularly carry out drug seizured involving quantities as large as 20 tons. Still, there are many reports of these chemicals being manufactured in the open. Many ingredients in these drugs aren’t even illegal there. The U.S. Drugn Enforcement Agency says that most of the pre-curser chemicals in meth also come from China. It doesn’t help matters that there are plenty of customers in the U.S., with large profit margins for dealers. On this week’s Shortwave, a deadly trade of an elusive drug. By — P. J. Tobia P. J. Tobia P.J. Tobia is a Foreign Affairs Producer at PBS NewsHour, covering the Middle East and North Africa. He is also the host and producer of the foreign affairs podcast "Shortwave." Prior to this Tobia spent two years in Afghanistan covering Afghan politics, life and the U.S.-led war. @PJTobia
It’s as easy as ordering a pair of shoes from Zappos. Only the product is more dangerous and deadly than a pair of stilettos: synthetic drugs, almost all coming into the country from China. How are these drugs trafficked into the U.S.? And what is being done to stop their distribution? » Subscribe in iTunes » Subscribe using RSSIn the last year, there have been massive busts in China. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security says there were more than 50,000 drug cases made by prosecutors. Police there regularly carry out drug seizured involving quantities as large as 20 tons. Still, there are many reports of these chemicals being manufactured in the open. Many ingredients in these drugs aren’t even illegal there. The U.S. Drugn Enforcement Agency says that most of the pre-curser chemicals in meth also come from China. It doesn’t help matters that there are plenty of customers in the U.S., with large profit margins for dealers. On this week’s Shortwave, a deadly trade of an elusive drug.