WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senators Ashley Moody, Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) today introduced the Nitazene Control Act. The bipartisan legislation works to permanently schedule the entire class of nitazenes under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, closing loopholes that traffickers exploit by making slight chemical changes to evade enforcement.
Senators Moody, McCormick and Gallego were joined in introduction by Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jeane Shaheen (D-NH), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and the bill has been endorsed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and Eugene Vindman (D-VA).
Senator Ashley Moody said, “As the former Attorney General of Florida, I signed an emergency rule adding deadly nitazene compounds to the Schedule I controlled substance list and worked with the state legislature to make that ban permanent. Now as Florida’s newest U.S. Senator, I am taking this fight to the federal level by introducing the Nitazene Control Act with my colleagues that will extend this ban nationwide. These lethal synthetic opioid compounds pose an enormous threat to Americans, and this critical bill will help us save lives.”
“The fact that nitazenes are oftentimes more deadly than fentanyl, which killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year alone, should be a wakeup call to us all. We need to take immediate action to close loopholes, crack down on traffickers, and ensure that these deadly narcotics do not cause the same devastation that we saw with fentanyl,” said Senator McCormick. “I’m proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep our communities safe.”
“Families across Arizona have already been torn apart by the opioid and fentanyl epidemic, and now nitazenes threaten to make this crisis even worse. These synthetic opioids are stronger and deadlier than fentanyl, and they are starting to be abused more frequently,” said Senator Gallego. “The Nitazene Control Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to keep these drugs out of our communities and save lives. I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill to protect Arizona families from the next wave of the opioid epidemic.”
“We must target nitazenes before they become the next drug epidemic. These illicit drugs are extremely potent and difficult to detect.” said Senator Ricketts. “We have the capability to prevent their flow into our country. We just need to follow the blueprint set by our efforts to counter fentanyl. That’s why I worked with my colleagues to introduce the Nitazene Control Act. It follows the model of the HALT Fentanyl Act. This bill will give law enforcement the authority they need to combat this new threat.”
“The extreme potency of nitazenes, which are deadlier than fentanyl, is deeply alarming and requires immediate action,” said Senator Schmitt. The Nitazene Control Act will crack down on the flow of nitazenes by permanently designating them as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, closing loopholes traffickers exploit and giving law enforcement the tools they need to go after this deadly drug.”
“In New Hampshire, we’ve already lost far too many lives due to synthetic opioids, so it’s very concerning to know that nitazenes, which are even deadlier than fentanyl, are in our communities,” said Senator Shaheen. “We need to do everything possible to get nitazenes off our streets. I’m glad to join my colleagues on this bipartisan legislation that will give our law enforcement the tools they need to stop these synthetic opioids from flowing into our communities and save lives.”
“Our nation’s law enforcement officers are on the front lines of the opioid crisis every day, and nitazenes represent one of the most dangerous emerging threats we face. The Nitazene Control Act provides a vital tool to help keep these deadly synthetic opioids off our streets and out of our communities,” said FLEOA National President Mathew Silverman. “We commend Senators McCormick, Gallego, Ricketts, Shaheen, Schmitt, Slotkin, and Moody for their leadership and foresight in introducing this bipartisan legislation. By taking a class-wide approach, they are ensuring that traffickers can’t exploit chemical loopholes to evade prosecution. This proactive measure strengthens public safety, empowers law enforcement, and ultimately saves lives.”
BACKGROUND
As Attorney General, Senator Moody led the fight to schedule deadly nitazenes in Florida via emergency rule and later through working with the state legislature to permanently schedule them.
Read more here:
AG Moody Issues Emergency Rule Outlawing Eight Deadly Synthetic Opioids
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