Attorney General Gentner Drummond is spearheading efforts to address the fentanyl crisis by urging the U.S. Senate to pass legislation aimed at closing a significant drug trafficking loophole.
"The fentanyl epidemic has devastated Oklahoma families and communities across our nation," Drummond stated. "Mexican cartels are flooding our southern border with deadly Chinese-made fentanyl, and drug dealers are exploiting legal loopholes to distribute lethal copycat versions. The Senate must act now to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act and give law enforcement the tools they need to save lives."
Drummond, along with 24 other state attorneys general, has sent a letter to U.S. Senate leaders advocating for the bill's passage. This legislation seeks to permanently classify fentanyl analogues as Schedule I drugs. These substances, often more hazardous than prescription fentanyl, are crafted in labs specifically to bypass U.S. laws.
Currently, Congress has temporarily classified fentanyl and its analogues as Schedule I drugs; however, this classification is set to expire on March 31. The HALT Fentanyl Act, which received strong bipartisan support in the U.S. House, aims to make this classification permanent.
The letter was also signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.