WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today joined President Donald Trump at the White House for the signing of the HALT Fentanyl Act. The legislation, which Senator Capito co-sponsored, makes permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs as Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

The legislation also removes barriers that impede the ability of researchers to conduct studies on these 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.

“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. 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. 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,” Senator Capito said. 

BACKGROUND:

Drug overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl, are the leading cause of death among young adults 18 to 45 years old. Synthetic opioids like Fentanyl account for 66% of the total U.S. overdose deaths.

Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024. West Virginia so far has confirmed 787 deaths between January 2024 and January 2025.

Nearly 70% of those deaths across the country were attributed to opioids, including illegal fentanyl, which are largely manufactured in Mexico from raw materials supplied by China. In 2024, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized more than 60 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. The 2024 seizures are equivalent to more than 380 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

# # #