The President of the United States, Donald Trump, recently revealed that a phone call with Mexican leader Claudia Sheinbaum inspired him to launch a new campaign against fentanyl consumption. This conversation had a significant impact on Trump, leading him to adopt a firmer strategy against this drug that has caused thousands of deaths in his country. During a speech at the Department of Justice, Trump shared how the talk with Sheinbaum led him to this new initiative. The conversation focused on the question of why Mexico, being one of the main producers of fentanyl, did not consume this substance like other countries. Trump's doubt about the effectiveness of anti-drug campaigns in Mexico was key to his decision to act more decisively. For her part, Sheinbaum presented the national campaign "Stay Away from Drugs. Fentanyl Will Kill You" on January 7th, aiming to prevent fentanyl and other drug consumption in Mexico. This initiative aims to change the cultural perception of drugs and provide educational resources to those who interact directly with young people. In the call, the Mexican leader explained to Trump about the impactful advertising campaigns in Mexico that show the devastating effects of drugs, which include explicit images of the harm they can cause to the human body. This preventive strategy has been effective in Mexico, and Trump, upon hearing this, felt motivated to take similar actions in his country. The Mexican campaign is supported by the Secretariats of Education and Culture, as well as the Health Sector, and aims to raise awareness among the population, especially young people, parents, and teachers, about the dangers of drugs. To ensure the dissemination of preventive messages, a significant investment will be made, and the Communication Council will invest 300 million pesos in media for this purpose. In the United States, fentanyl continues to be one of the leading causes of overdose deaths, with an alarming increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. This synthetic opioid has been involved in approximately two-thirds of fatal overdose cases in the country. Trump considered the exchange with Sheinbaum as a turning point in his approach to drugs, resulting in a more vigorous campaign to combat fentanyl in his nation.
