The HALT Fentanyl Act Doubles Down on Denialism

Jeffrey A. SingerYesterday the House of Representatives voted 289 –133 topass the HALT Fentanyl Act.* Theact permanently classifies fentanyl ‐​related substances (FRS)—analogs of fentanyl that differ chemically from analogs currently used medically (e.g.,sufentanil,remilfentanil,alfentanil) —as Schedule 1 drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administrationdefines Schedule 1  drugs as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”Set aside the fact that politicians have no way of knowing that future analogs have no potential medical use (think of all those years lost intreating mental health problems with psychedelics because the DEA determined they had no accepted medical use). Set aside the fact that keeping heroin and cannabis as Schedule 1  drugs for more than half a century has not deterred the black market from providing those drugs to consumers. What is even more mind‐​boggling is that the Trump Administrationtemporarily classified FRSs Schedule 1  in 2018 as an emergency measure in response to the rise in fentanyl‐​related overdose deaths, and renewed the temporary classification in 2020 through 2024. Fentanyl‐​related overdose deaths went from roughly 47,000 in 2018 to more than 81,000 in 2022. By what logic do lawmakers think th at permanently extending FRSs Schedule 1 classification will somehow bring overdose deaths down?The HALT Fentanyl Act also increases mandatory minimum sentences for people found possessing...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs