The House of Representatives has approved a bill that would classify all fentanyl as a Schedule I substance, the most dangerous classification of drugs, by a vote of 289-133.
Currently, only some fentanyl-related substances are classified as Schedule I, but the new legislation will allow for tougher penalties and spur more research related to a drug that has claimed thousands of American lives.
Why it Matters: Schedule 1 drugs do not have any medical use and are highly lethal. The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act was introduced by Rep. Morgan Griffith and Rep. Bob Latta, both Republicans.
The White House supported the bill, noting that its provisions were critical components of the Biden-Harris administration’s 2021 recommendations to Congress.
- The opioid and fentanyl crisis worsened when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. Overdose deaths soared from 70,630 in 2019 to 91,799 in 2020 and 106,699 in 2021, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
- The Drug Enforcement Administration says fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, suicide, homicide, and cancer, among other causes.
What they’re saying: The Office of Management and Budget said, “The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently schedule all fentanyl-related substances not otherwise scheduled into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act as a class and expedite research into fentanyl-related substances, which the administration has long supported.”
- Rep. Bob Latta said in a statement, “For too long, our nation has battled an opioid epidemic fueled in recent years by illicit fentanyl and its analogs, which claimed the lives of more than 5,000 Ohioans and 70,000 Americans in 2021. … I now urge the Senate to take up this bill and send it to the president’s desk to be signed into law. Our constituents need this solution; lives are on the line if we do not act. It’s time to get this bill across the finish line.”
