US President Donald Trump has called for drug traffickers to face the death penalty as part of his plan to combat the opioid addiction epidemic. Speaking in Manchester, New Hampshire, a state severely affected by the crisis, Mr Trump said his administration was working to change the law to allow for executions of dealers.
The proposal comes as an estimated 2.4 million Americans are addicted to opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin. The crisis claimed around 63,600 lives in 2016, according to health officials. Mr Trump's plan would also seek to cut opioid prescriptions by a third over three years and increase funding for prevention and treatment.
Mr Trump acknowledged the political and judicial challenges, saying, 'Now maybe our country's not ready for that. It's possible.' The expanded use of the death penalty faces opposition in Congress and would likely face lengthy legal battles, given Supreme Court rulings on proportionality.
The president praised countries with strict penalties, such as the Philippines under Rodrigo Duterte, whose anti-drug campaign has led to thousands of extra-judicial killings. However, human rights groups and the International Criminal Court have criticised the Philippine approach.
Mr Trump also called for $6bn in new funding for 2018-19 to fight the crisis, and for measures to track international mail shipments of illicit opioids like fentanyl. The White House noted that the Department of Justice would seek the death penalty 'when appropriate under current law', though no drug-related murder case has resulted in execution so far.
