Supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2022, 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 counterfeit pills and falsely marketing counterfeit pills as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the people of the United States; Whereas many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription name-brand opioids or stimulants; Whereas drug traffickers are using fake or counterfeit pills to exploit the opioid crisis and nonmedical use of prescription drugs; Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration (referred to in this resolution as the DEA Whereas 4 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 9,500,000 counterfeit pills were seized within the last year, which exceeds the total number of seizures for the previous 2 years combined; Whereas fake or counterfeit pills have been identified in all 50 States and the District of Columbia; Whereas illicit fentanyl is contaminating other drugs such as heroin and cocaine; Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in November 2021, more than 105,000 individuals in the United States died of drug-induced deaths, and 70,000 of those deaths involved illicit synthetic opioids, including fentanyl; Whereas, over the last 20 years, drug-induced deaths among individuals aged 15 to 35 has increased 6-fold, largely driven by the increase in illicit drugs containing fentanyl; Whereas for the 12-month period ending in April 2021, the leading cause of death for individuals in the United States aged 18 to 45 was synthetic opioids, including fentanyl; Whereas racial disparities in rates of fatal opioid-related overdoses are increasing, and rates among non-Hispanic Black individuals has surpassed rates among non-Hispanic White individuals; Whereas 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, in 2020, drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals aged 14 to 18 grew by 94 percent, which was more than 3 times as fast as the national rate and faster than any other 5-year age group; Whereas, in 2020, fentanyl-involved drug overdoses and poisoning deaths for individuals aged 14 to 18 grew by 169 percent, which was more than 3 times as fast as the national rate and faster than any other 5-year age group; Whereas it is estimated that fatal overdoses cost the United States approximately $1,000,000,000,000 annually; and Whereas, in 2020, there were 56,516 reported overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the recognition and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day, which include increasing individual and public awareness of the presence of fentanyl in fake or counterfeit pills and drugs such as heroin and cocaine, as well as its impact on families and young people; (2) applauds the work of Federal, State, and local public health, law enforcement, and other agencies that work to combat the proliferation of counterfeit pills and their harms to health; (3) encourages the use of existing strategies and authorities to proactively stop and prevent the spread of illicit synthetic opioids; and (4) supports the designation of a National Fentanyl Awareness Day

Summary: This resolution supports the designation of National Fentanyl Awareness Day, including to bring attention to the presence of fentanyl in fake or counterfeit pills. (Fentanyl is a potent prescription opioid for treating severe pain that is also made and used illegally.)