Column: The House Just Took a Major Step to Combat Fentanyl
Today, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death across the country and Fentanyl-driven overdoses are the leading cause of death for American adults between 18-45 years of age. It’s cheap to make, easy to transport, and so potent just a few milligrams can be lethal. If Congress does not act, our communities will continue to suffer, and more precious lives will be lost.
Addressing the spread of illicit fentanyl-related substances has been a legislative priority of mine since coming to Congress. The first piece of legislation I introduced as a Member of Congress was the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act (SOFA), which would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. Last week, I was proud to help pass the HALT Fentanyl Act through the House. The provision of the HALT Fentanyl Act that permanently designates illicit fentanyl as Schedule I is based on the language from SOFA.
Currently, fentanyl-related substances are classified as Schedule I under an emergency class-wide scheduling order that is set to expire at the end of September. If this temporary order lapses, law enforcement would lose the authority to seize fentanyl analogues being trafficked, disguised, and sold as prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and others. Drug traffickers will be further incentivized to move these drugs on our streets through a loophole in federal law by changing the molecular structure of fentanyl to create legal variations.
This issue is not only important to me but also to those in our community. Archie Badura, of Oconomowoc, tragically passed away at the age of 19, due to an accidental overdose in 2014. Since then, his mother, Lauri Badura has dedicated herself to advocating on behalf of those struggling with mental health and substance abuse and started a grassroots organization called, “Saving Others For Archie” to help fight the opioid epidemic and get fentanyl-related substances permanently designated as a Schedule I drug.
Logan Rachwal of Pewaukee, who was also 19 and a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, passed away in 2021 from an overdose of three different forms of fentanyl. His parents, Erin and Rick Rachwal, also started an organization, the Love, Logan Foundation, to work to end the stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse disorders and raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and other illicit substances.
As a father and grandfather, this issue hits close to home. No parent should have to experience the pain the Badura and Rachwal families have had to endure. We need strong congressional action on fentanyl, and we need the permanent designation of fentanyl-related substances to Schedule I. I hope the Senate will consider this issue with urgency.