PolitiFact | Drugs

The Poynter Institute

Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

I would like to contribute

True

0%

Mostly True

19%

Half True

0%

Mostly False

0%

False

0%

Pants on Fire

0%

All Fact-checks for Drugs

Kayleigh McEnany

stated on February 7, 2023 in a Facebook post

"Joe Biden's wide open southern border" is to blame for fentanyl deaths in the U.S.

true

false

stated on January 31, 2023 in a floor speech.

“You know how many children are dying across Virginia because of fentanyl poisoning? A heck of a lot more than are dying at the hands of guns.”

true

false

stated on January 6, 2023 in a campaign website

As president, Donald Trump “marshaled the full power of government to stop deadly drugs, opioids, and fentanyl from coming into our country. As a result, drug overdose deaths declined nationwide for the first time in nearly 30 years."

true

barely-true

stated on October 26, 2022 in a tweet

Rep. Tim Ryan “wanted to decriminalize fentanyl.”

true

pants-fire

Club for Growth

stated on October 5, 2022 in an ad

As attorney general, Catherine Cortez Masto “opposed tougher laws on methamphetamine dealers.”

true

barely-true

West Virginia Republican Party

stated on August 23, 2022 in a tweet

“Overdoses reached an all-time high in 2021.”

true

true

stated on September 29, 2022 in On Fox News

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman’s tattoo references ‘heroin use’ and the Crips

true

barely-true

West Virginia Republican Party

stated on August 23, 2022 in a tweet

“More fentanyl has crossed the border in the last two months under Biden than in 2019 under Trump.”

true

mostly-true

stated on July 21, 2022 in a Facebook post

"A Jackson, Tennessee, employee passed out this morning from handling a dollar bill with fentanyl on it."

true

false

stated on July 19, 2022 in an ad

Instead of fighting opioid addiction, a nonprofit founded by J.D. Vance paid his “top political adviser” and funded “political polling.”

true

mostly-true

stated on April 11, 2022 in Twitter

Cannabis reform "is supported by the majority of the residents of our state, including a majority of Republicans."

true

true

stated on April 1, 2022 in a press release

In 2021, “11,201 pounds of fentanyl were seized by Customs and Border Protection, which is enough to kill every American nearly seven times over.”

true

mostly-true

"Watch The Water"

stated on April 11, 2022 in a film

COVID-19 is a synthetic version of “snake venom” that evil forces are spreading through remdesivir, the COVID-19 vaccines and drinking water to “make you a hybrid of Satan.”

true

pants-fire

Sarah Godlewski

stated on February 18, 2022 in Campaign statement

"Here in Wisconsin, prescription drug costs grew at a pace of nearly twice as much as the average Wisconsinite's income from 2015-2019."

true

mostly-true

stated on February 14, 2022 in a tweet

"100,000 Americans died of an overdose in a single year."

true

true

stated on January 26, 2022 in a Facebook post

A molecule found in a Himalayan fungus "kills cancer cells with 40 times potency."

true

half-true

stated on January 25, 2022 in a speech

Says remdesivir is responsible for killing patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

true

false

stated on February 8, 2022 in a tweet

The Biden administration “is spending $30 million on crack pipes.”

true

barely-true

stated on February 9, 2022 in an ad

"In Joe Biden’s America, your children are more likely to have access to a crack pipe than a mask-free education."

true

pants-fire

stated on January 31, 2022 in Twitter posts

Research from Japan shows “ivermectin is effective against omicron in Phase III trial.”

true

false

Ask PolitiFact: Do rising fentanyl seizures at the border signal better detection or more drugs?

Ask PolitiFact: Do rising fentanyl seizures at the border signal better detection or more drugs?

By Maria Ramirez Uribe • March 20, 2023

Fact-checking CPAC 2023 claims about the FBI, fentanyl, IRS

Fact-checking CPAC 2023 claims about the FBI, fentanyl, IRS

By PolitiFact Staff • March 3, 2023

Checking claims in Iowa Gov. Reynolds’ sixth Condition of the State address

Checking claims in Iowa Gov. Reynolds’ sixth Condition of the State address

By Emily Delgado • January 11, 2023

Fact-checking Catherine Cortez Masto and Adam Laxalt in Nevada Senate race

Fact-checking Catherine Cortez Masto and Adam Laxalt in Nevada Senate race

By Maria Ramirez Uribe • November 4, 2022

Fact-checking J.D. Vance and Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate race

Fact-checking J.D. Vance and Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate race

By Amy Sherman • November 4, 2022

Fentanyl deaths are up, but GOP ads mislead by blaming ‘open borders,’ migrants crossing illegally

Fentanyl deaths are up, but GOP ads mislead by blaming ‘open borders,’ migrants crossing illegally

By Tom Kertscher • October 28, 2022

Verificando los hechos del único debate en Florida entre Val Demings y Marco Rubio para el Senado

Verificando los hechos del único debate en Florida entre Val Demings y Marco Rubio para el Senado

By Yacob Reyes • October 19, 2022

The only Florida Senate debate between Val Demings and Marco Rubio, fact-checked

The only Florida Senate debate between Val Demings and Marco Rubio, fact-checked

By Yacob Reyes • October 18, 2022

Fact-checking J.D. Vance and Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate debate

Fact-checking J.D. Vance and Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate debate

By Amy Sherman • October 17, 2022

Is fentanyl the leading cause of death among American adults?

Is fentanyl the leading cause of death among American adults?

By Nusaiba Mizan • October 3, 2022

A Nobel Prize and a horse dewormer: Explaining the controversy over ivermectin and COVID-19

A Nobel Prize and a horse dewormer: Explaining the controversy over ivermectin and COVID-19

By Tom Kertscher • September 8, 2021

What to know about a pro-ivermectin group’s study touting the drug versus COVID-19

What to know about a pro-ivermectin group’s study touting the drug versus COVID-19

By Tom Kertscher • June 30, 2021

Ask PolitiFact: Why did Hunter Biden leave the Navy?

Ask PolitiFact: Why did Hunter Biden leave the Navy?

By Noah Y. Kim • October 1, 2020

Latest promises about Drugs

Lower cost of prescription drugs

Decriminalize marijuana

Repeal law barring Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices

Change tax code so pharmaceutical production stays in the US

Allow import of prescription drugs from other countries

Expand services for people during and after incarceration

Send first-time nonviolent drug offenders to rehab if appropriate

Enhance drug courts

Eliminate disparity in sentencing for crack and cocaine