[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 77 (Monday, May 9, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

                              S. Res. 624

       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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