President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Halt Fentanyl Act into law, making permanent the emergency classification of fentanyl-like substances as Schedule I drugs—an effort aimed at curbing the nation’s opioid epidemic through tougher criminal penalties.
The Halt Fentanyl Act, which had bipartisan support in Congress, codifies a temporary rule first enacted in 2018. The law now imposes harsher federal sentencing, including a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison for trafficking 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogues. These synthetic opioids, which are chemically similar to fentanyl but often even deadlier, have fueled hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths across the country in the past decade.
Flanked by families holding photos of loved ones lost to fentanyl overdoses, Trump said, “Today, we strike a righteous blow to the drug dealers, narcotic traffickers, and criminal cartels. We take a historic step toward justice for every family touched by the fentanyl scourge.”
Though many advocates and lawmakers hailed the law as a long-awaited move to tackle the fentanyl crisis, others raised concerns about the bill’s limitations. Notably, the Halt Fentanyl Act does not provide any new funding for addiction treatment, mental health services, or overdose prevention—tools that many experts say are essential to addressing the root causes of the crisis.
Dr. Ju Nyeong Park, a public health professor at Brown University, criticized the legislation for relying too heavily on punitive measures. “We are in an unprecedented opioid and overdose crisis, and yet it is deeply concerning to see the country continue to turn to failed drug policies that are not evidence-based,” Park stated.
Indeed, while federal data show a drop in overdose deaths in 2024—from a peak of nearly 111,000 in 2022 to around 81,740 last year—experts say that progress is due to a mix of factors: regional shifts in illicit drug markets, increased availability of naloxone (the overdose-reversing drug), and even the grim reality that many frequent users have already died.
More than 321,500 children lost a parent to overdose between 2011 and 2021, and fentanyl became the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18–49 by 2021. A 2024 national survey found over 40% of Americans personally know someone who has died of an overdose.
Despite the law’s symbolic weight, some warn it may obscure broader policy contradictions. At the same time Trump’s administration is taking a hardline stance on trafficking, it has also proposed deep cuts to public health programs. Trump’s budget plan would eliminate over $1 billion in pandemic-era mental health and addiction grants and dissolve the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), shifting its programs to a larger agency with a $500 million reduction in state funding.
Critics say the juxtaposition is alarming. “The administration is using the Halt Fentanyl Act as cover to act like they’re actually doing something when they’re gutting programs that support people with substance use disorder,” said Maritza Perez Medina of the Drug Policy Alliance.
Another concern is that the law may chill vital scientific research. While it includes language meant to protect researchers, fentanyl-related substances being classified as Schedule I could still hamper studies exploring therapeutic uses for opioid antagonists or addiction treatments.
Still, for many families, the law represents a moral victory. Anne Fundner, whose 15-year-old son Weston died in 2022 from a fentanyl overdose, praised Trump for signing the bill and pressing the Justice Department to hold traffickers accountable. “It is a lifeline for families across America,” she said.
As the opioid crisis evolves, the question remains whether the Halt Fentanyl Act will meaningfully reduce overdose deaths—or simply repeat the cycle of punitive drug policy without providing the public health infrastructure needed for long-term solutions.
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