Yesterday, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a proposal to counter fentanyl and synthetic drugs with methods that have long been disproven to work. This proposal would permanently designate fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs, and xylazine as a Schedule III drug, on the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This would create severe criminal penalties for people struggling with addiction, and block research that could lead to lifesaving overdose interventions.
Take action: urge Congress to reject this proposal of failed drug war approaches, and take a proven health-based approach instead.
People are understandably concerned about these drugs, which are increasingly found in the illicit drug supply and detected in fatal overdoses. But as we’ve seen time and time again, a rush to criminalize and double down on failed drug war policies will just increase overdose deaths and other harms. In fact, fentanyl-related substances have been criminalized at the federal level since 2018, but overdose rates have only increased since then: from 67,367 overdose deaths in 2018 to 107,941 in 2022.
Criminal penalties will fall disproportionately on Black, Brown, and Indigenous people who use drugs and those who are at the lowest levels of the drug distribution chain. And scheduling will block desperately needed research to treat people with substance use disorder and prevent overdose deaths involving these drugs.
For more than 50 years our government has been criminalizing people for drugs. As a result, overdose deaths are skyrocketing and illicit drugs are stronger, cheaper, and more available.
Don’t let Congress repeat the mistakes of the past: tell them to save lives by prioritizing a health approach to these drugs instead of scheduling them.
Many public health professionals, scientists, and researchers agree and know that we need health approaches. Instead of doubling down on failed punitive policies, we need increased access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips and other overdose prevention services as well as investment in public education, research, and addiction services and social supports that are proven to help people.
