House of Representatives pass HALT Fentanyl Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WYMT) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HALT Fentanyl Act Thursday morning. The bill was co-sponsored by Congressman Hal Rogers of the Fifth District. It provides law enforcement additional tools to help combat Fentanyl or Fentanyl-related substances.

“Fentanyl is showing up in all our communities, impacting more families and killing more Americans than ever before. In fact, fentanyl overdoses are now the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 - outpacing cancer deaths and fatal car accidents. This drug is wreaking havoc at every turn, endangering the lives of first responders who unknowingly come in contact with the lethal substances as well,” said Rogers, founder of Operation UNITE and the national Rx and Illicit Drug Summit. “The HALT Fentanyl Act makes the DEA’s temporary order permanent, ensuring there is no lapse in the penalties necessary to bring justice to drug dealers and organized traffickers.”

While drug overdose deaths decreased slightly nationwide last year, approximately 75 percent of the deaths included fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances, which can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine.