John,
The Senate Judiciary Committee just passed the HALT Fentanyl Act. This awful new bill could make the fentanyl drug epidemic even worse than it already is. We need you to join us and thousands of other constituents in telling your senator to reject the HALT Fentanyl Act now.Stand Against Drug Policy that Doesn’t Work: Sign the Petition
HALT would permanently criminalize all fentanyl-related substances, even those that haven't been studied, give more power to law enforcement to police fentanyl possession and use, and impose harsh mandatory minimums for those prosecuted. None of these tactics have been proven to diminish use, decrease overdose deaths or combat the availability of drugs. In fact, they could have the opposite effect:
Combatting overdose deaths: Fact: Arresting dealers pushes people with addiction to riskier, less reliable drug sources.1 Lower overdose deaths come from public health efforts, not harsher penalties.2 Cracking down on one drug often leads to the rise of even deadlier synthetic ones.3
Increasing Enforcement: Fact: Enforcement-only policies don’t work. Decades of evidence show they don’t reduce drug use and unfairly impact communities of color.4 Despite a massive increase in fentanyl-analog prosecutions under both Trump and Biden, overdoses kept rising, and use didn’t drop.5
This is what is at risk if HALT actually passes, more deaths and overdoses, more people locked up – punished rather than treated – and more communities of color destroyed by over-policing. This is not an acceptable outcome.
This bill has JUST passed the Senate Judiciary — sign the petition and tell your senators to reject HALT.
In 2024, Dream.Org launched the Public Health is Public Safety Campaign, urging lawmakers to focus on public health solutions to the substance use epidemic instead of relying on punishment. Policies like HALT show why our campaign is crucial. While policymakers continue to champion tough drug policies, Dream.Org and our campaign will be there, armed with facts—not fear—to collaborate with lawmakers and stakeholders on a justice system that supports those affected by drugs and offers real solutions to make our country safer.
John, you have a chance to stop this proposed antiquated and backwards bill. Please stand with Dream.Org and thousands of others as we fight drug policy that risks making our current drug epidemic even worse. Sign the petition and tell your senator to vote NO on the HALT Fentanyl Act.
Sign the Petition
In solidarity,
– Dream.Org
1 Drug-Induced Homicide Laws and False Beliefs About Drug Distributors: Three Myths That Are Leaving Prosecutors Misinformed
2 Peak OD Phenotypes
3 Today's fentanyl crisis: Prohibition's Iron Law, revisited
4 Fentanyl Analogues FY22
5 2021 Fentanyl Report
