[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 126 (Thursday, August 1, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 799--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF FENTANYL 
            PREVENTION AND AWARENESS DAY ON AUGUST 21, 2024

  Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 799

       Whereas families in the United States affected by the use 
     of illicit fentanyl use Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day 
     to--
       (1) preserve the memory of the individuals lost to illicit 
     fentanyl overdose or poisoning who were unsuspecting victims, 
     experimenting with the drug, or suffering from substance use 
     disorder;
       (2) acknowledge the devastation caused by the use of 
     illicit fentanyl and other dangerous drugs; and
       (3) share awareness about the dangers of the use of illicit 
     fentanyl to prevent a public health crisis, self-harm, 
     addiction, and death;
       Whereas Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is celebrated 
     each year on August 21 by State governors and attorneys 
     general, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     parent-teacher associations, the High Intensity Drug 
     Trafficking Areas program, the Office of National Drug 
     Control Policy, the Drug Enforcement Administration (referred 
     to in this preamble as the ``DEA''), and hundreds of other 
     organizations throughout the United States;
       Whereas fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid 
     that is 100 times more potent than morphine;
       Whereas, according to the DEA, illicit fentanyl is--
       (1) manufactured with other illicit drugs to increase 
     potency;
       (2) sold as a powder or mixed with other illicit drugs; and
       (3) pressed into counterfeit pills to look like legitimate 
     pharmaceutical drugs;
       Whereas the illicit fentanyl crisis in the United States is 
     a serious public safety threat;
       Whereas the illicit fentanyl poisoning rate in 2023 was 
     among the highest in the history of the United States, and 
     fentanyl poisoning was the number 1 cause of death among 
     people in the United States aged 18 to 45;
       Whereas synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl and the 
     analogues of fentanyl, are devastating communities and 
     families at an unprecedented rate, claiming \2/3\ of the more 
     than 107,000 lives lost to drug overdoses in 2023;
       Whereas, in 2023, the number of drug-related deaths 
     throughout the United States reached not less than 107,543;
       Whereas individuals increasingly use pills or other drugs 
     without knowing those substances contain fentanyl;
       Whereas, as of June 2024, U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection personnel have seized more than 15,100 pounds of 
     illicit fentanyl, and Federal, State, local, and Tribal law 
     enforcement agencies continue to make record breaking 
     seizures of illicit fentanyl for the safety of the people of 
     the United States;
       Whereas families in the United States affected by the use 
     of illicit fentanyl have gained momentum in educating the 
     public about the dangers of the use of illicit fentanyl and 
     other drugs and actively engage with Federal agencies to 
     promote such education and awareness;
       Whereas families in the United States affected by the use 
     of illicit fentanyl seek to raise awareness of the use of 
     illicit fentanyl and prevent illicit fentanyl-related deaths, 
     and those families join together in the effort to save lives 
     on Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day; and
       Whereas parents, young people, schools, businesses, law 
     enforcement agencies, religious institutions and faith-based 
     organizations, service organizations, senior citizens, 
     medical and military personnel, sports teams, and individuals 
     throughout the United States will demonstrate a commitment to 
     healthy, productive, and drug-free lifestyles on Fentanyl 
     Prevention and Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of Fentanyl Prevention 
     and Awareness Day;
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to promote 
     prevention of the use of illicit fentanyl and to educate 
     young people on Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, 
     symbolizing a commitment to healthy, drug-free lifestyles;
       (3) encourages children, teenagers, and other individuals 
     to choose to live drug-free lives; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States to--
       (A) promote drug prevention and the creation of drug-free 
     communities; and
       (B) participate in drug prevention activities to show 
     support for healthy, productive, and drug-free lifestyles.

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