House of Representatives Embraces Failed, Unjust, and Dangerous Drug Policies by Passing HALT Fentanyl Bill
HALT Fentanyl Act would expand extreme sentences, exacerbate racial disparities in the criminal legal system, and paralyze research into new medical discoveries to treat opioid use disorder
Related to: Drug Policy, Federal Advocacy
[Washington, DC] – In a 312-108 vote, the House of Representatives passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act (HALT Fentanyl Act) today. The bill permanently classifies all fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I – meaning that individuals who manufacture, import, or possess with intent to distribute FRS will be subject to harsh mandatory minimum sentences. The bill also expands mandatory minimums in drug analogue prosecutions.
“This bill is flawed on multiple levels. It expands the use of mandatory minimum sentences – a disastrous relic of the war on drugs, even though we have decades of evidence demonstrating that such policies don’t improve public safety or reduce drug use. Instead, they rip families and communities apart,” said Liz Komar, Sentencing Reform Counsel at The Sentencing Project. “Communities of color are disproportionately targeted for potential drug offenses. The HALT Fentanyl bill would continue to exacerbate the stark racial disparities in our criminal-legal system.”
Scientists have found that some FRS have no harmful effects and many of the most effective antidotes to fentanyl overdose are very likely to be molecularly similar to fentanyl itself. By permanently scheduling all FRS and offering no off-ramps for potentially beneficial substances, this bill could curb research into life-saving treatments.
“It’s shocking that lawmakers still believe we can police our way out of a public health crisis – despite over fifty years of evidence to the contrary. Substance use is a public health issue – and we should treat it as such,” Komar added.
Last year The Sentencing Project released a fact sheet on the ramifications of mandatory minimum sentencing driving mass incarceration. The organization has repeatedly called on both Congress and the White House to stop relying on punitive scheduling policies, in order to help bring about the end of mass incarceration and adequately address substance use problems.
