Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Investing

The HALT Fentanyl Act Doubles Down on Denialism

by May 26, 2023
May 26, 2023

Jeffrey A. Singer

Yesterday the House of Representatives voted 289–133 to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act.* The act permanently classifies fentanyl‐​related substances (FRS)—analogs of fentanyl that differ chemically from analogs currently used medically (e.g., sufentanil, remilfentanil, alfentanil)—as Schedule 1 drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration defines Schedule 1 drugs as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Set aside the fact that politicians have no way of knowing that future analogs have no potential medical use (think of all those years lost in treating mental health problems with psychedelics because the DEA determined they had no accepted medical use). Set aside the fact that keeping heroin and cannabis as Schedule 1 drugs for more than half a century has not deterred the black market from providing those drugs to consumers. What is even more mind‐​boggling is that the Trump Administration temporarily classified FRSs Schedule 1 in 2018 as an emergency measure in response to the rise in fentanyl‐​related overdose deaths, and renewed the temporary classification in 2020 through 2024. Fentanyl‐​related overdose deaths went from roughly 47,000 in 2018 to more than 81,000 in 2022. By what logic do lawmakers think that permanently extending FRSs Schedule 1 classification will somehow bring overdose deaths down?

The HALT Fentanyl Act also increases mandatory minimum sentences for people found possessing fentanyl‐​related substances. Experience shows that mandatory minimum sentences and even the death penalty do nothing to deter drug dealing and drug use. Mandatory minimums do, however, empower prosecutors to engage in coercive plea bargaining.

In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Government Surveillance last March I urged lawmakers not to go down this road.

The bill now goes to the Senate, and President Biden signals he will sign it.

The HALT Fentanyl Act is just the latest example of Congress doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. This is prohibition denialism.

*HALT Fentanyl Act is an acronym for “Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act”

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Rocket Launches Fire Across Tech Space
next post
Representative Mooney Calls Out Fed’s CBDC Pilots

You may also like

Apportionment & Immigration: 95 Percent of Noncitizen Growth...

January 24, 2024

Senator Wicker Can’t Wave away Our Dangerous Jones...

March 7, 2024

Naturalized Immigrants Probably Voted Republican in 2024

March 26, 2025

The Nonexistent FISA “Fix”

December 9, 2024

Sorry Unions, China Isn’t Responsible for US Shipbuilding...

March 18, 2024

Trump’s Deportation Priorities Didn’t Shift, They Won’t Shift,...

June 17, 2025

Johan Norberg: Bernie Sanders’ Vision of Sweden is...

October 31, 2023

Perttu v. Richards Brief: Defending the Right to...

January 22, 2025

A Case for Deficit Reduction

April 19, 2024

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Enshrines Education Choice...

December 12, 2023

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Earn $8,800 a day in passive income using your smartphone – Siton Mining Launches New Multi-Currency Cloud Mining App for BTC, XRP, and DOGE

      August 24, 2025
    • Trump gave the Oval Office a gilded makeover – and covered the cost himself

      August 24, 2025
    • Trump learns a lesson grounded in faith, how best to stand tough on trade with China

      August 24, 2025
    • Latest Decode Casino Bonus Code Deals You Shouldn’t Miss

      August 24, 2025
    • Israel set to launch Gaza City offensive: High stakes, high costs ahead

      August 24, 2025
    • New RNC chair Joe Gruters vows to ‘ride the president all the way to victory’ in midterms

      August 24, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,867)
    • Investing (2,235)
    • Politics (16,474)
    • Stocks (3,228)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved