III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 215 

Supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 

2023, including increasing individual and public awareness of the impact 

of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills on families and young people. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2023 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 

Mr. YOUNG, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KELLY, Mr. TILLIS, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. VANCE, Mr. BROWN, 

Mr. CRAPO, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. COTTON, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. DAINES, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. SCOTT

of Florida, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. WICKER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. RISCH, Ms. 

WARREN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. PETERS, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. CASEY, Mr. 

MORAN, Mr. BENNET, Ms. ERNST, Mrs. BRITT, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. 

HOEVEN, Mr. HAGERTY, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. LEE, Mr. 

SCOTT of South Carolina, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. CASSIDY, Ms. BALDWIN, 

Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BUDD, and Ms. ROSEN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl 

Awareness Day in 2023, including increasing individual 

and public awareness of the impact of fake or counterfeit 

fentanyl pills on families and young people. 

Whereas drug traffickers are mass-producing fake or counterfeit pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the people of the United States; 


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•SRES 215 ATS 

Whereas many fake or counterfeit pills are made to look like 

prescription name-brand opioids, stimulants, or anxiety 

medications; 

Whereas drug traffickers are using fake or counterfeit pills 

to exploit the opioid crisis and prescription drug misuse; 

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration (referred to 

in this preamble as the ‘‘DEA’’) has observed a dramatic 

rise in the number of counterfeit pills containing not less 

than 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a 

deadly dose; 

Whereas 6 out of every 10 pills with fentanyl tested by the 

DEA contain a potentially lethal dose; 

Whereas counterfeit pills may also contain fentanyl-related 

substances and methamphetamine; 

Whereas the number of counterfeit pills with fentanyl seized 

by law enforcement agencies has increased by nearly 502 

percent since 2019; 

Whereas more than 50,000,000 counterfeit pills were seized 

within the last year, which represents 379,000,000 doses 

of illicit fentanyl. 

Whereas fake or counterfeit pills have been identified in all 

50 States and the District of Columbia; 

Whereas illicit fentanyl has also been detected in illicit drugs 

such as heroin, cocaine, and MDMA. 

Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in September 2022, 

more than 106,000 individuals in the United States died 

of drug-induced deaths, and 72,000 of those deaths involved illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids; 


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•SRES 215 ATS 

Whereas, over the last 20 years, drug-induced deaths among 

individuals 15 to 35 years of age have increased 6-fold, 

largely driven by the increase in illicit fentanyl drugs; 

Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in June 2022, illicit 

fentanyl was involved in more deaths of individuals under 

50 years of age than any single other cause; 

Whereas fake counterfeit pills are easily accessible and often 

sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making 

them accessible to teens and youth; 

Whereas illicit fentanyl is involved in more deaths of youths 

than all other drug types combined; 

Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 120 percent, a rate of increase which was 43 

percent higher than the national rate and higher than the 

rate for any other 5-year age group; 

Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, the involvement of illicit 

fentanyl in drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 232 percent, 

a rate of increase which was 94 percent higher than the 

national rate and higher than the rate for any other 5- 

year age group; 

Whereas, in 2021, illicit fentanyl was involved in 80 percent 

of drug-induced deaths of individuals between 14 and 23 

years of age, compared to 66 percent of drug-induced 

deaths of individuals of all ages; 

Whereas only 48 percent of youth and 36 percent of teens 

in the United States are aware that fentanyl is being 

used to create counterfeit pills; 

Whereas only 40 percent of youth and 31 percent of teens 

consider themselves knowledgeable about fentanyl; and 


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•SRES 215 ATS 

Whereas, in 2021, there were 71,238 reported overdose 

deaths due to illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the recognition and goals of Na3 tional Fentanyl Awareness Day, which include in4 creasing individual and public awareness of the im5 pact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills on families 

6 and young people; 

7 (2) applauds the work of Federal, State, and 

8 local law enforcement agencies that work to combat 

9 the proliferation of counterfeit pills; 

10 (3) encourages the use of existing authorities to 

11 proactively stop and prevent the spread of illicit 

12 counterfeit pills; and 

13 (4) designates May 9, 2023, as ‘‘National 

14 Fentanyl Awareness Day’’. 

Æ 


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