China's fentanyl ban a 'game-changer' for opioid epidemic, DEA officials say

Prescription and illegal opioids are commonly abused because they are so addictive. <br /><br />Opioid medications bind to the areas of the brain that control pain and emotions, driving up levels of the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brain's reward areas and producing an intense feeling of euphoria.<br /><br />As the brain becomes used to the feelings, it often takes more and more of the drug to produce the same levels of pain relief and well-being, leading to dependence and, later, addiction.

China will ban the manufacture and sale of four variations of the synthetic drug fentanyl starting March 1, a move that US Drug Enforcement Administration officials call a "game-changer" for the United States' battle with manufactured opioids.

Overdose cases spike in Louisville: 52 calls in 32 hours

Heroin overdose cases spike in Louisville, Kentucky

DEA spokesman Russ Baer confirmed that China made the announcement Wednesday night, after six months of talks between the Chinese and US governments. That included a January visit by acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg -- the first DEA administrator to go to China in more than a decade -- to to discuss the issue.

"It's been a great exchange, and this is great news. It's a potential game-changer," Baer said.

The ban will stop carfentanil, furanyl fentanyl, acrylfentanyl and valeryl fentanyl from being legally manufactured and sold in China, effective March 1. That could have a big impact on illegal imports to the United States, as China is the main supplier of fentanyl to the US.

"The significance of that cannot be underestimated as it relates to the impact in the US," Baer said.

In October 2015, China banned more than 100 synthetic chemicals, including some fentanyl products. But Baer says there's an ongoing battle between legislation and clandestine labs; each time one substance is banned, a new one pops up to replace it.