Synthetic Drug Conference in Thailand Offers Hope for Global Cooperation

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Multinational efforts with international organizations are being sought at a four-day conference in the Thai capital of Bangkok to halt trafficking of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, which are contributing to an epidemic of overdose deaths in the United States, the US Department of State said in a statement on Tuesday.

"At the February 21-24 ‘Bangkok III’ conference, the United States will seek to make progress in stopping the illegal trafficking of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl, that are harming US communities," the release stated.

At the conference, the United States will seek partnerships with international organizations and other nations to restrict illicit production and transnational trafficking, the release explained.

The conference was organized by UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the UN-backed International Narcotics Control Board, the release noted.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Luis Arreaga is leading the US delegation at the conference, according to the release.

Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate that is often added to heroin, was a key reason cited for nearly 10,000 US overdose deaths in 2015, a 72 percent increase from the previous year, according estimates by the US Centers for Disease Control.