The United States Senate approved a bill aimed at increasing prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers, a measure that seeks to combat the distribution of this deadly drug. This law received broad support in the House of Representatives last month and was finally approved in the Senate with a vote of 84 to 16, with only votes against from Democratic legislators.
The bill, known as the HALT Fentanyl Act, aims to permanently include all imitation versions of fentanyl on the DEA's list of the most dangerous drugs. This measure is expected to lead to an increase in criminal convictions for distributing fentanyl-related substances and facilitate drug investigations.
The president has expressed support for signing the law, which has resulted from a bipartisan effort in Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans have agreed on the importance of stopping the flow of fentanyl into the United States, a substance responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year.
Despite the majority support, some critics have expressed concern that the law does not address the root causes of addiction or focus on preventing the drug from entering the country. In this regard, Senator Ed Markey pointed out that the initiative could harm research on addiction and methods to treat overdoses, as well as divert resources from more effective strategies in the fight against fentanyl.
In 2023, the average prison sentence for those convicted of fentanyl-related drug trafficking was seven years and three months, with a high percentage of individuals from ethnic minorities. The approval of this law represents a joint effort to address the fentanyl crisis in the United States, although there are conflicting opinions about its approach and long-term effectiveness.
