Title: A resolution 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.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution designates May 10, 2022, as National Fentanyl Awareness Day to bring attention to the impact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills. (Fentanyl is a potent prescription opioid for treating severe pain that is also made and used illegally.)

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 624 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 624

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2022

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Risch, Mr. 
   Blumenthal, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Markey, Mrs. 
 Capito, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Whitehouse, Mrs. Blackburn, 
    Mr. Manchin, Mr. Cotton, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Kelly, Ms. 
     Klobuchar, and Mr. Scott of Florida) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
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 fake or counterfeit pills and 
        falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the 
        people of the United States;
Whereas many fake or 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 prescription drug misuse;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Agency (referred to in this preamble as the 
        ``DEA'') has observed a dramatic rise in the number of counterfeit pills 
        containing not less than 2 mg of fentanyl, which is considered a deadly 
        dose;
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 has also been detected in street drugs such as heroin 
        and cocaine;
Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in October 2021, more than 105,000 
        individuals in the United States died of drug-induced deaths, and 69,000 
        of those deaths involved illicit 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 
        fentanyl drugs;
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 illicit 
        fentanyl;
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, 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 involvement in drug overdose 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; and
Whereas, in 2020, there were 56,516 reported overdose deaths due to synthetic 
        opioids; Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the recognition and goals of National Fentanyl 
        Awareness Day, which include increasing individual and public 
        awareness of the impact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills 
        on families and young people;
            (2) applauds the work of Federal, State, and local law 
        enforcement agencies that work to combat the proliferation of 
        counterfeit pills;
            (3) encourages the use of existing authorities to 
        proactively stop and prevent the spread of illicit counterfeit 
        pills; and
            (4) designates May 10, 2022 as ``National Fentanyl 
        Awareness Day''.
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