U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined President Donald Trump at the White House for the signing of legislation called the HALT Fentanyl Act, which stands for “Halt All Lethal Trafficking.”
Families from West Virginia joined Capito for the Wednesday bill signing.
“It’s not just fentanyl — it’s fentanyl and it’s other life-destroying drugs that look like fentanyl that are being laced into certain other pills,” Capito said during a news briefing on Thursday afternoon.
“So the president signed that, and it was it was a good moment but it was a very somber moment because of the so many folks on stage that were representing the many lives that were lost.”
Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic painkiller. It is a form of opioid that works in the central nervous system and the brain to block pain signals to the rest of the body. Lethal overdoses can occur quickly with fentanyl because of its high potency.
The legislation, which Capito co-sponsored, makes permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs as Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the most restrictive drug category, indicating a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
The legislation also aims to remove barriers that impede the ability of researchers to conduct studies on the substances and allows for exemptions if such research provides evidence that it would be beneficial for specific analogs to be classified differently than Schedule I, such as for medical purposes.
Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues have been involved in a very high percentage of overdose deaths in West Virginia in recent years, according to state figures, although the number has been dropping.
“West Virginia has been disproportionately impacted by the drug crisis, with fentanyl being one of the deadliest drugs that has made the crisis exponentially worse,” Capito said.
“The HALT Fentanyl Act will help equip law enforcement with the resources needed to crack down on traffickers and keep these deadly substances off the streets once and for all.”
She continued, “I was proud to stand alongside President Trump — and join some of our fellow West Virginians — to watch him sign this important legislation into law, which marks another critical step forward in our ongoing efforts to combat the crisis and protect West Virginians from the scourge of illicit fentanyl.”
In the House of Representatives, Congressman Riley Moore also praised the president’s signing of the legislation.
“We’ve lost countless lives in West Virginia to fentanyl poisoning. I am very proud to have co-sponsored this legislation and thrilled to see it be signed by President Trump. This new law is a key tool in the fight to reduce overdoses and save lives,” said Moore, R-W.Va.
“I will continue to champion policies that push back on this deadly poison which has ravaged our communities.”
Congresswoman Carol Miller, R-W.Va., posted on social media, “This is life-saving legislation that will help keep our communities safe. I am glad to see it officially signed into law.”