Urge your Senators to vote NO on the HALT Fentanyl Act and to prioritize health solutions to fentanyl instead of more punishment.
Friend, the U.S. House passed the HALT Fentanyl Act last week. And now we need your help to oppose it in the Senate for its first vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee this Thursday, February 20, and a full Senate floor vote expected soon after that. Don’t let the name fool you. This bill will only halt health approaches to fentanyl – health approaches our communities need to stay alive.
This bill would block potential research that could uncover new overdose medications by permanently scheduling all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I without first testing them for benefits or harm. Of the few fentanyl-related substances the federal government has tested, at least one showed properties similar to the overdose-reversing medication naloxone.
It would also create new mandatory minimum sentences and harsh criminal penalties for fentanyl-related substances. History shows us this will only do more harm by separating families, allowing for unjust sentences that do not consider individual circumstances, and diverting resources away from health interventions that are proven to curb the fentanyl overdose crisis.
Americans are rightfully concerned about fentanyl and overdose, but the HALT Fentanyl Act is a step in the wrong direction. Tell your U.S. Senators to oppose the HALT Fentanyl Act and support health and science instead of handcuffs.
And consider following up with a quick call to your Senators’ offices at (202) 224-3121 and say: I’m calling to urge my Senator to vote NO on the HALT Fentanyl Act (S. 331). Reducing the harms of fentanyl and overdose is so important, but we can’t arrest our way out of this crisis. Harsher penalties for fentanyl-related substances are counterproductive and will only result in even more potent substances entering the drug supply, increasing risk of harms like overdose. We are all concerned about fentanyl. But we must invest in health solutions to save lives instead of doubling down on arrest and incarceration that have failed to keep us safer. Please oppose the HALT Fentanyl Act and support a health approach instead of handcuffs. Thank you.
Criminalization created the conditions for fentanyl. Despite over 50 years of the drug war, drugs are more available, cheaper, and potent than ever. Though it may seem counterintuitive, cracking down on the drug supply often leads to more dangerous drugs. After prescription opioid crackdowns, people dependent on opioids turned to the streets to find substitutes. The illegal drug market responded by mixing fentanyl with heroin and counterfeit pills to meet the overwhelming demand.
When the Trump administration first criminalized all fentanyl-related substances in 2018, overdose deaths rose 60% in four years—from 67,367 deaths in 2018 to 107,941 in 2022. Now, pure fentanyl is the norm, and new drugs like xylazine and nitazenes are emerging. Instead of learning from this, the Trump administration is doubling down and trying to make this policy permanent through the HALT Fentanyl Act.
Fentanyl harm will persist so long as politicians focus on enforcement rather than addressing demand. The HALT Fentanyl Act will repeat this dangerous cycle. Harsher penalties will lead to more potent substances, increasing harms like overdose. It will put more lives at risk nationwide, especially in Black and Brown communities which are disproportionately targeted, sentenced, and incarcerated for federal fentanyl-related crimes.
We can’t arrest our way out of the fentanyl and overdose crisis. But that’s exactly what Congress is trying to do. If this bill passes the Senate, President Trump will sign it into law. That means this is one of our last chances to speak out, so please help us oppose it by contacting your Senators right away.
With your support, we’re doing everything we can to oppose this harmful bill and advocate for lifesaving health solutions like addiction services, treatment, and overdose prevention centers that are proven to keep us all safer.
