> My friend told me they got heroin with fentanyl without knowing.

This is an all too common trend. Most people aren't dying from an accidental overdose, they are being poisoned with fentanyl.

You get addicted to pain killers. Then go to heroin because it's cheaper and more effective. Then you get it laced with fentanyl because dealers are cutting it. Then you die.

To slow it you have to pressure China to stop the labs and you have to crack down on border smugglers, neither will happen anytime soon.