[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 15, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  SENATE RESOLUTION 692--SUPPORTING THE MISSION AND GOALS OF NATIONAL 
  FENTANYL AWARENESS DAY IN 2024, INCLUDING INCREASING INDIVIDUAL AND 
PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF FAKE OR COUNTERFEIT FENTANYL PILLS ON 
                       FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE

  Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Ms. Butler, Mr. Cramer, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. 
Rubio, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Daines, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. 
Moran, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Brown, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Sinema, Mr. 
Casey, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Risch, Mr. Markey, Ms. Warren, 
Mr. Padilla, Mr. Kelly, Mr. King, Mr. Coons, Mr. Young, Mr. Merkley, 
Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Tester, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Hassan, Mr. 
Menendez, Mr. Warnock, Mrs. Britt, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Crapo, Mr. 
Manchin, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Graham, and Ms. Cantwell) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 692

       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 7 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 2023 was 79,500,000, up 
     from 58,000,000 pills the year prior;
       Whereas, including the nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl 
     powder seized in 2023, total fentanyl seizures are equivalent 
     to more than 376,700,000 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 November 2023, 
     more than 109,000 individuals in the United States died of 
     drug-induced deaths, and more than 76,000 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 5-fold, 
     largely driven by the increase in illicit fentanyl drugs;
       Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in June 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, since 2021, the annual number of drug overdose and 
     poisoning deaths and those deaths involving illicit fentanyl 
     in drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 
     18 years of age has increased;
       Whereas, in the 12-month period ending June 2023, illicit 
     fentanyl was involved in 81 percent of drug-induced deaths of 
     individuals between 14 and 23 years of age, compared to 70 
     percent of drug-induced deaths of individuals of all ages;
       Whereas, at the end of 2022, only 48 percent of youth and 
     36 percent of teens in the United States were aware that 
     fentanyl is being used to create counterfeit pills;
       Whereas, at the end of 2022, only 40 percent of youth and 
     31 percent of teens considered themselves knowledgeable about 
     fentanyl; and
       Whereas, in 2022, there were 73,838 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 May 7, 2024, as ``National Fentanyl 
     Awareness Day''.

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