Supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2026, including increasing individual and public awareness of the impact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills on families and young people.

Supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2026, 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, stimulants, or anxiety medications;

Whereas drug traffickers are using fake or counterfeit pills to exploit prescription drug misuse and the opioid crisis;

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration (referred to in this preamble as the “DEA”) has observed a dramatic rise in the number of counterfeit pills containing not less than 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a deadly dose;

Whereas 5 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 in 2025 was more than 47,000,000;

Whereas, including the nearly 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder seized in 2025, total fentanyl seizures are equivalent to more than 369,000,000 lethal doses of fentanyl;

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 illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy and molly), and methamphetamine;

Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in October 2025, nearly 70,000 individuals in the United States died of drug-induced deaths, and more than 37,000 of those deaths involved illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids;

Whereas, in 2023, illicit fentanyl was involved in more deaths of individuals 55 years of age and under than any single other cause;

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, between 2019 and 2021, drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 128 percent, a rate of increase which was 77 percentage points higher than the national rate and higher than the rate for any other 5-year age group;

Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, the number of deaths involving illicit fentanyl in drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 236 percent, a rate of increase which was 141 percentage points higher than the national rate and higher than the rate for any other 5-year age group over the age of 15;

Whereas, in 2024, only 65 percent of youth and 55 percent of teens in the United States were aware that fentanyl is being used to create counterfeit pills;

Whereas, in 2024, only 55 percent of young adults and 50 percent of teens considered themselves knowledgeable about fentanyl; and

Whereas, in 2025, there were tens of thousands of reported overdose deaths involving illicit fentanyl and other 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 April 29, 2026, as “National Fentanyl Awareness Day”.