WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate Friday approved the Fentanyl Act, but faced fierce condemnation from Fair and Just Prosecution, which called the HALT Fentanyl Act a dangerous and dangerous bill that reinforces outdated, punitive drug policies.
Instead of adopting effective, evidence-based solutions for the overdose crisis, it relies on failed approaches from the past, charged FJP.
“Overdose deaths are declining not because of harsh sentencing laws, but because we are finally investing in what works—harm reduction, expanded treatment, and proven public health strategies.” FJP Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig stated in response to the Senate Passage.
“The HALT Fentanyl Act threatens this progress by doubling down on ineffective and extreme sentences and fueling unjust prosecutions that disproportionately target communities of color. Why are we repeating the same mistakes?” questioned FJP.
Fair and Just Prosecution’s Fettig argues that as the bill returns to the House, lawmakers face a crucial decision to “continue the lifesaving progress of recent years or repeat the same disastrous policies that have devastated communities for decades.”
Fettig emphasized Congress should focus on real solutions, such as expanding treatment, increasing naloxone access, and investing in public health approaches that have already led to reductions in overdose deaths.
Fettig describes the HALT Fentanyl Act as “a dangerous step backward” and urges the House to reject it, according to a FJP statement.
Fair and Just Prosecution insisted the HALT Fentanyl Act adopts a flawed strategy by favoring criminalization rather than effective health-oriented solutions, and would permanently establish all substances related to fentanyl as Schedule I drugs without evaluating their possible medical uses.
This, FJP adds, could impede essential research that could facilitate the development of new medications to counteract overdoses.
FJP also notes the bill seeks to extend mandatory minimum sentences and impose stricter criminal penalties despite long-standing evidence indicating that punitive drug policies do not work.
History has shown that rising criminalization merely results in a proliferation of more dangerous substances within the drug market, stated FJP.
Since the Trump administration first established stringent penalties for fentanyl-related substances in 2018, there has been a 60 percent rise in overdose fatalities, according to Fair and Just Prosecution.
FJP cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reports a 24 percent drop in overdose deaths in 2024, mainly due to harm-reduction initiatives like naloxone distribution, fentanyl test strips, and treatments for opioid use disorder.
Nevertheless, FJP reports the HALT Fentanyl Act poses a risk of blocking these achievements by reinforcing punitive actions instead of promoting life-saving health measures. FJP declared this is the final opportunity to block this bill and advocate for real solutions to the overdose crisis.
