America Declares War on Fentanyl

Surrounded by individuals and families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, President Donald J. Trump enacted a long-overdue piece of policy that classifies permanently fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 drugs, meaning they are classified as a chemical with a high potential for abuse and have no currently accepted medical value. Under the Halt All Legal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act (HALT Fentanyl Act), fentanyl will now be in the same category as heroin, bath salts, and the date rape drug (GHB). Trump described the measure as “another defeat for the savage drug smugglers and criminals and cartels,” characterizing it as a crackdown on the ongoing transnational organized crime at the United States/Mexico border. 

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Fentanyl and the organized crime surrounding its trafficking and sales has been devastating for America, with the Beltway decision-makers previously seemingly ignoring the problem. Greg Swan, whose son Drew died of a fentanyl overdose, told Trump: “It was amazing what you did. We were being gaslit — and you came and lit a fire to that story, and we’re a lot safer for it.” Mr. Swan now leads Fentanyl Fathers, a nonprofit raising awareness about the dangers of overdose. 

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According to CDC data, synthetic opioids like fentanyl were involved in 70% of all overdose deaths in 2023. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, both fatal and non-fatal fentanyl related overdoses have been on a steady increase. Known for its heroin-like effect, there is a strong illicit market. Due to its extreme potency, it can also be added to other drugs to make them more addictive. There have also been reports of assailants using it as a date rape drug, endangering the lives of women. 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, fentanyl is unable to be detected without test strips. Of the upwards of 105,000 Americans killed by drug overdoses in 2024, 73,000 – over half, were from synthetic opiates. In most cases, fentanyl is produced by the kilogram. One kilogram can kill 500,000 people. Additionally, variants such as carfentanyl have been on the rise. Carfentanyl is 100x more deadly than the original drug. 

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This law will include permanently harsher penalties for those who traffic fentanyl and its variants. For 10 grams, there is a mandatory minimum of five years incarceration. For 100 grams, the minimum increases to 10 years. 

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This act will both save lives and bring those behind one of the greatest growing threats against American people to justice. 

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