The Brian Lehrer Show Why Bombing 'Drug Boats' Will Do Nothing to Solve America's Fentanyl Crisis
Nov 25, 2025
David Herzberg, a professor and director of the Drugs, Health and Society Program at the University at Buffalo, dives into the complexities of America’s fentanyl crisis. He critiques the idea that bombing drug boats will solve the problem, arguing it will only lead to increased violence and higher prices. Herzberg traces the roots of today’s drug issues back to the 19th century and discusses how prescription practices fueled addiction. He advocates for harm reduction and a combined strategy to reshape drug supply while enhancing treatment options.
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Medical Markets Fueled Early Drug Crises
- The first major U.S. drug crisis began in the Gilded Age with widespread medical use of morphine and cocaine.
- Prescription-driven addiction showed early that domestic medical markets can create mass drug problems.
Supply Crackdowns Reshape Drug Markets
- Crackdowns on legal opioid supply pushed addicted users into illicit markets and created demand for new suppliers.
- That market disruption incentivized synthetic opioids like fentanyl that were easier to distribute.
The White Market — Prohibition Cycle
- 'White markets' are legal pharmaceutical systems that alternate with prohibition markets in a cat-and-mouse dynamic.
- Industry and regulators repeatedly over- and under-control drug availability, producing cycles of harm.