President-elect Donald Trump recently shared his plan to launch a new anti-drug advertising campaign aimed at showing the harsh physical effects of drugs like fentanyl. Speaking at a Turning Point conference in Phoenix, Arizona, he said, “We’re going to show people how bad drugs are for you. They mess up your appearance – your face, your skin, your teeth.”
While Trump didn’t go into much detail about the campaign, he emphasized that his administration would spend “a lot of money,” though it would be “a very small amount, relatively.” This campaign, according to him, would be similar to a political ad campaign. However, his transition team didn’t provide further information when asked.
The idea of this campaign seems to echo the “Just Say No” movement led by Nancy Reagan back in the 1980s, which encouraged young people to stay away from drugs. Trump’s plan is partly in response to the ongoing opioid crisis, with synthetic opioid overdoses projected to claim 50,000 to 60,000 American lives this year, mostly from fentanyl and related drugs.
In addition to the campaign, Trump revived his pledge to label Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. “I will immediately designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations,” he said. This proposal, which he put on hold during his presidency in 2019 at Mexico’s request, had raised concerns about damaging U.S.-Mexico relations and potentially interfering with Mexico’s efforts to combat drug trafficking.
If Trump follows through on his promise, his administration’s plan includes using the military, cyber warfare, and other methods to target cartel leaders and operations.
