Fentanyl is a pharmaceutical drug that can be prescribed by a doctor to treat severe pain. But like its predecessors, that drug has been illegally manufactured and sold by criminal gangs.

The president has called the crisis an “American tragedy” but many angles to the epidemic lie elsewhere in China and Mexico.

Ben Westhoff was the first journalist to enter a Chinese fentanyl lab posing as a buyer. He spoke with us about the origins of the epidemic, the scale of the problem for US towns and cities and the hope that exists for solutions to the crisis.

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this podcast, please visit BBC Action Line to find information on organisations that can help. You can find it here: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America editor • Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent

GUESTS: • Ben Westhoff, author of Fentanyl, Inc.

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This episode was made by Chris Flynn with Rufus Gray, Catherine Fusillo, Claire Betzer and Natasha Mayo. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.