Politics & Government
State Joins Call To Tighten Restrictions On Fentanyl
Nevada Attorney General urges Congress to make the drug's restrictions permanent. Current rules on Fentanyl lapse next year.
CARSON CITY, NV – The state’s top law enforcement official has joined a national coalition calling for Congress to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
In a letter signed by every attorney general in the nation, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford urged 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).
"Fentanyl is a dangerous and addictive drug that has devastated Nevada families and many others all around the country," said AG Ford. "In 2017, the CDC found that 40 percent of the 72,000 nationwide drug-related deaths involved fentanyl or related compounds. This drug must be classified to reflect the danger it poses to our communities."
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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. This scheduling order is set to expire less than two months from now on February 6, 2020.
The FIGHT Fentanyl Act codifies DEA precedent to schedule fentanyl-related substances, and will ensure law enforcement agencies and courts retain the tools needed to keep those who traffic in this deadly substance off the streets.
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Attorneys general from every state and territory in the nation, plus the District of Columbia, co-signed the letter.
The FIGHT Fentanyl Act, S.2701, was introduced to the U.S. Senate on October 24 and referred to the Judiciary Committee where it currently sits awaiting scheduling and further debate.
A copy of the joint letter can be viewed here: http://ag.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/agnvgov/Content/News/PR/PR_Docs/2019/2019-12-11%20NAAG-Support%20for%20FIGHT%20Act%20Letter.pdf