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Balla: We stand with President Trump in the war on drugs

2026-01-21 13:35:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Chairman of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group, Taulant Balla, in his speech at the Committee on Europe and Foreign Affairs, during the discussion on the draft law related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, with a special focus on the fight against synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, stated that Albania stands by US President Donald Trump in the fight against drugs.

He emphasized that in addition to fentanyl, the list being approved also includes four other synthetic opioids that are even stronger than fentanyl, describing them as extremely dangerous to human life.

In his speech, Balla brought up shocking figures from the United States of America, calling fentanyl a global threat.

“From January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2024, 262,000 people in the U.S. died from causes related to fentanyl use. More Americans have died from fentanyl than from World War II, in just four years.”

According to him, very high figures are expected for 2025, around 76 thousand victims, which justifies US President Donald Trump's strong stance on this issue.

Balla recalled that on March 14, 2024, Albania joined the Global Coalition against Synthetic Drugs, an initiative led by the United States.

"Synthetic drugs, and in particular fentanyl, are weapons of mass destruction that kill tens of thousands of people every year," he stressed, warning that Europe is still not fully aware of the danger this phenomenon poses.

According to Balla, an amount smaller than a grain of salt of fentanyl can take a person's life, underlining that this is a consequence of organized criminal networks, weak borders and insufficient law enforcement.

"Strong borders save lives," he declared, adding that Albania should increase border controls and strengthen security policies in schools to prevent children and young people from falling prey to drug dealers.

In conclusion, Taulant Balla praised the Albanian government's proactive approach to updating the list of narcotics and called for more attention to rehabilitation and treatment centers for people with addictions.

"The state's duty is not only to prevent drug use, but also to ensure that its victims are free from addiction," said Balla, calling on the opposition to support the draft law and for it to be approved as soon as possible in the plenary session./ CNA