Arizona Joins National Coalition To Outlaw Fentanyl

PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has joined a bipartisan coalition of all 56 attorneys general in calling for Congress to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 drugs.

Schedule 1 drugs include such as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. They are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

In the letter, the Attorneys General urge Congress to pass S.2701, the Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting (FIGHT) Fentanyl Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary scheduling order in February 2018 to schedule fentanyl-related substances that has allowed federal law enforcement authorities to bring criminal actions against individuals who manufacture, distribute or handle fentanyl-related substances. However this scheduling order is set to expire less than two months from now on February 6, 2020. The FIGHT Fentanyl Act would codify DEA precedent and ensure fentanyl-related substances retain their Schedule 1 listing.

"We have taken great strides recently in addressing prescription-related opioid overdose deaths across the country, but we continue to see sharp increases in deaths related to the usage of synthetic opioids like fentanyl," said Attorney General Brnovich. "Synthetic fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and until recently the federal government has been slow to respond to the wave of fentanyl-based drugs that are flooding the illicit drug trade. This legislation gives law enforcement and the courts the tools they need to hold individuals who are harming our communities with this cheap and extremely deadly drug accountable."

In the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 72,000 drug-related deaths in the United States in 2017. Of those deaths, roughly 40% involved fentanyl or a fentanyl-related compound. In 2018, the DEA identified 3,591 new compounds of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids – a 27% increase from 2017.

Attorneys general from every state, territory and the District of Columbia signed the letter.

With the support of every Attorney General, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has chosen to endorse the legislation as one of its official national policy positions. NAAG typically endorses around a dozen policies a year.

The FIGHT Fentanyl Act, S.2701, was introduced to the U.S. Senate on October 34 and referred to the Judiciary Committee where it currently sits awaiting further action.