270,000 Overdose Deaths Thrust Fentanyl Into Heart of US Presidential Race

(Bloomberg) — To understand the 2024 US presidential election, it is essential to understand the politics of fentanyl. Americans have been traumatized by a years-long wave of overdose deaths caused by the synthetic opioid. Once rarely used outside hospitals, fentanyl has become a ubiquitous street drug made by criminal gangs, often in Mexico, from cheap chemicals typically manufactured in China. It frequently is a hidden ingredient in other illicit drugs and can have fatal consequences for unsuspecting users. Ending the scourge, voters indicate, is a high priority. About 8 in 10 voters in seven swing states say fentanyl misuse is…