Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined forces with a multi-state coalition urging the U.S. Senate to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. The proposed legislation aims to address a loophole related to "copycat fentanyl" by permanently classifying these substances under the federal Controlled Substance Act.
"Copycat fentanyl," which includes lab-created variations of the drug, previously avoided stricter legal penalties due to differences in scheduling classifications. These variations have contributed significantly to drug trafficking issues, according to Attorney General Sunday.
During a recent one-year period, nearly 3 million doses of fentanyl and an additional 50,000 pills were seized by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. This included various fentanyl-related substances.
Attorney General Sunday emphasized the need for stringent measures against synthetic opioid traffickers: “The deadliest, most dangerous drugs should be scheduled as such. Synthetic opioid manufacturers and traffickers have exploited loopholes in scheduling classifications which contributed to widespread distribution of variations of fentanyl.”
He added that these drugs have devastating effects on communities and families: “Each and every life lost leaves a family and community devastated, so it is imperative we act with urgency to combat this scourge.”
Since 2018, fentanyl's impact on American lives has been severe, comparable to World War II fatalities. The issue is exacerbated by Mexican cartels smuggling Chinese-made copycat versions into the United States. Between October 2021 and June 2022 alone, enough fentanyl was intercepted at U.S. borders to lethally affect the entire American population multiple times over.
Fentanyl-related substances are often more harmful than their prescription counterparts. Although Congress temporarily classified them as Schedule I drugs, this status will expire on March 31 unless new legislation like the HALT Fentanyl Act is enacted.
Having already passed in the U.S. House with strong bipartisan support, advocates now call on the Senate for approval. Iowa and Virginia spearheaded this effort alongside Pennsylvania and other states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina ,South Dakota,Tennessee ,Texas ,Utah ,West Virginia ,and Wyoming.