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OWENSBORO, KY – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), who serves as the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health, brought together law enforcement officials on Thursday to discuss the overdose crisis and how law enforcement can help combat the drug overdose epidemic and keep illicit drugs off our streets.

“The United States tragically lost a record number of Americans to drug overdoses in 2022, most of which was driven by illicit fentanyl. In Kentucky, fentanyl poisonings have contributed to over 70% of all drug overdose deaths in the last three years.  Law enforcement officers are on the frontlines everyday fighting to keep these poisons off our streets, and we must work together to prevent these tragedies. As Chair of the Health subcommittee, we are working to equip law enforcement with the tools they need to prevent overdose deaths entirely. This year, under my leadership, the House passed the HALT Fentanyl Act, which would permanently schedule fentanyl related substances as a schedule 1 drug to keep our communities safer. We’re also working to schedule Xylazine, also known as TRANQ, as a schedule III drug to help prevent a new wave of the overdose epidemic from haunting our communities. I look forward to our continued partnership with state, local, and federal law enforcement to ensure we end this crisis once and for all” said Guthrie. 

Background:

·       In 2018, with Representative Guthrie’s help, the Energy and Commerce Committee led the passage of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). This legislation provided access to substance use disorder treatment services for the most vulnerable seeking to overcome addiction. Specifically, the legislation provided coverage for certified opioid treatment programs for patients on Medicare and temporarily provided coverage of medication assisted treatment for Medicaid recipients.

The SUPPORT Act also included policies designed to prevent addiction entirely by through greater access to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved non-addictive pain management alternatives for Medicare beneficiaries and strengthened coordination between the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to prevent illicit drug trafficking at our Southwest Border and through the mail.

·       H.R. 467, The HALT Fentanyl Act passed the U.S. House earlier this year and ensures the temporary scheduling of fentanyl-related substances will become permanent, equipping law enforcement to crack down on this illicit poison. Only two milligrams of fentanyl can be a deadly dose, so it is critical to keep this out of our communities.

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