The United States has signed a memorandum with major social media companies to combat the distribution of synthetic drugs on their platforms. The initiative, known as the Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms, involves collaboration between the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and companies such as Meta, X, and Snap Inc.
The goal of the alliance is to disrupt illegal drug activities online and raise public awareness about the dangers of synthetic drug misuse. Synthetic drug use is considered an international crisis that requires a collective effort to address, as highlighted by U.S. Ambassador at the signing ceremony.
The participating companies have committed to taking actions to make their platforms inhospitable to drug distributors. For example, Snap Inc. has implemented technology to proactively detect illicit drug content and refer cases to law enforcement. Meta aims to leverage its platform to support families of victims, individuals in recovery, and organizations fighting stigma related to drug use.
The Prevent Alliance emerged from discussions that began at the U.N. General Assembly in September 2023 and aligns with the U.S. State Department's Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. The partnership emphasizes the importance of all stakeholders, including technology companies, in combating the illicit drug trade.
According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, global drug use has been on the rise, with an estimated 292 million people using drugs in 2022, marking a 20% increase from the previous decade. Opioid use remains a significant concern, with approximately 60 million people reported to have used opioids. In the United States alone, opioid-related deaths have surged to nearly 82,000 in a decade, underscoring the urgency of addressing the opioid epidemic.
