NW Valley Times

As a response to the escalating crisis surrounding synthetic opioids, Congress is set to vote on a bill in the coming week, Axios reported this week. The proposed legislation, known as the HALT Fentanyl Act, aims to address the ongoing issue by categorizing all substances associated with fentanyl as the most severe classification of illegal drugs.

"We are bringing legislation to the U.S. House Floor to PERMANENTLY place fentanyl, in all forms, on the most restrictive drug lists," U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) said on Twitter this week. "This is a necessary step to save lives and block traffickers from evading prosecution."

Fentanyl substances, with potency up to 100 times that of morphine, have become the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-49; according to the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee. The substances contributed to the deaths of 75,000 people last year. Additionally, the overdose death rate in the U.S. involving fentanyl has nearly quadrupled from 2016 to 2021.

"The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently schedule all fentanyl-related substances (FRS) not otherwise scheduled into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act as a class and expedite research into fentanyl-related substances (FRS), which the Administration has long supported," the Biden administration said in a statement this week. "These two provisions are critical components of the Biden-Harris Administration’s 2021 recommendations to Congress to combat the supply of illicit FRS and save lives. The Administration calls on Congress to pass all of these critical measures to improve public safety and save lives."

U.S. Rep. Bob Latt (R-OH), who introduced the bill earlier this year, expressed his desire to see its passage.

"Lives are on the line - 77% of adolescent overdose deaths in 2021 were from illicit fentanyl poisonings," he said in a tweet this week. "That’s why @RepMGriffith and I are leading the charge with the HALT Fentanyl Act to help put an end to this scourge."