[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 83 (Wednesday, May 17, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 215--SUPPORTING THE MISSION AND GOALS OF NATIONAL 
  FENTANYL AWARENESS DAY IN 2023, 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, Mrs. Capito, Mr. 
Whitehouse, Mr. Young, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Collins, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
Kennedy, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Tillis, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Vance, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
Crapo, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Cotton, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Marshall, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Daines, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. 
Merkley, Mr. Wicker, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Risch, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Fischer, 
Mr. Peters, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Casey, Mr. Moran, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Ernst, 
Mrs. Britt, Mr. Braun, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Graham, 
Mr. Lee, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. 
Baldwin, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Budd, and Ms. Rosen) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 215

       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 the opioid crisis and prescription drug 
     misuse;
       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 6 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 50,000,000 counterfeit pills were seized 
     within the last year, which represents 379,000,000 doses of 
     illicit 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, and MDMA.
       Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in September 2022, 
     more than 106,000 individuals in the United States died of 
     drug-induced deaths, and 72,000 of those deaths involved 
     illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids;
       Whereas, over the last 20 years, drug-induced deaths among 
     individuals 15 to 35 years of age have increased 6-fold, 
     largely driven by the increase in illicit fentanyl drugs;
       Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in June 2022, 
     illicit fentanyl was involved in more deaths of individuals 
     under 50 years of age 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 120 
     percent, a rate of increase which was 43 percent higher than 
     the national rate and higher than the rate for any other 5-
     year age group;
       Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, the involvement of illicit 
     fentanyl in drug overdose and poisoning deaths for 
     individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 232 percent, a 
     rate of increase which was 94 percent higher than the 
     national rate and higher than the rate for any other 5-year 
     age group;
       Whereas, in 2021, illicit fentanyl was involved in 80 
     percent of drug-induced deaths of individuals between 14 and 
     23 years of age, compared to 66 percent of drug-induced 
     deaths of individuals of all ages;
       Whereas only 48 percent of youth and 36 percent of teens in 
     the United States are aware that fentanyl is being used to 
     create counterfeit pills;
       Whereas only 40 percent of youth and 31 percent of teens 
     consider themselves knowledgeable about fentanyl; and
       Whereas, in 2021, there were 71,238 reported overdose 
     deaths due to 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 May 9, 2023, as ``National Fentanyl 
     Awareness Day''.

                          ____________________