U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, Chuck Grassley, and Martin Heinrich have reintroduced the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act. The legislation aims to make permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Fentanyl overdoses are a leading cause of death among young adults aged 18 to 45, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounting for 66 percent of total U.S. overdose deaths.
"The Biden administration’s open border was an invitation to drug cartels smuggling Chinese fentanyl into the U.S., fueling the U.S. overdose epidemic," stated Dr. Cassidy. "Law enforcement must have the tools necessary to combat this trend. We cannot let this Schedule I classification lapse."
Senator Grassley highlighted the severity of the crisis, saying, "Today, roughly 150 Americans will die from fentanyl poisoning. Cartels fuel this crisis by marketing their poison as legitimate prescription pills." He added that Congress had temporarily closed a loophole by classifying fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I and emphasized that making this permanent would provide law enforcement with necessary tools.
Senator Heinrich expressed concern over the high number of annual deaths due to illicit fentanyl overdoses: "We’re losing more than 100,000 Americans each year to illicit fentanyl overdoses. I refuse to accept this reality." He believes that permanently scheduling these substances will help law enforcement tackle illegal trafficking and strengthen criminal cases.
The HALT Fentanyl Act is supported by Senators Roger Marshall, Todd Young, Steve Daines, Eric Schmitt, Maggie Hassan, Shelley Moore Capito, Ruben Gallego, Catherine Cortez Masto, Mike Rounds, John Kennedy, and Jeanne Shaheen.
In addition to addressing trafficking issues, the legislation aims to remove barriers hindering research on fentanyl-related substances. It allows for exemptions if research shows potential benefits for different classifications than Schedule I for specific substances.
From August 2021 to August 2022, drug overdoses claimed a record-breaking 107,735 American lives. This surge was largely driven by synthetic opioids like illegal fentanyl manufactured in Mexico using raw materials from China. In 2022 alone, over 50.6 million fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl were seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), more than double compared to 2021 figures.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HALT Fentanyl Act in March 2023.
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