Five-year Pappas campaign on fentanyl hits paydirt
A bill permanently classifying fentanyl as one of the most dangerous drugs has been passed by Congress, marking the culmination of a five-year campaign by Rep. Chris Pappas, who proposed the measure.
Pappas celebrates success of five-year bid to properly 'brand' fentanyl
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., spoke on the House floor Wednesday night in support of the Halt Fentanyl Act that once signed by President Donald Trump will permanently classify the drug under Schedule 1 making it among the most dangerous ones regulated by the federal government.
The Halt Fentanyl Act, which designates fentanyl-related substances as a so-called Schedule 1 drug, will also likely lead to longer criminal sentences handed down under federal law for those who illegally sell the deadly drug.
Schedule 1 drugs are defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as having "high abuse potential with no accepted medical use."
In an interview, the New Hampshire Democrat said the change will make it easier for law enforcement in New Hampshire and across the country to go after drug dealers who alter the amount of fentanyl in street drugs sold to addicts.
'There is still a lot more work to do on this issue, but this is one important step as it would help law enforcement when (traffickers) change the recipe of what they are producing,' Pappas said.
'This will give police the latitude to make sure they are staying ahead of the cartels.'
The bill would also place all copycat versions of fentanyl — alterations of the drug that are often sold by traffickers — as Schedule 1 drugs.
The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval to the measure Thursday afternoon, supporting minor changes that had been made in the U.S. Senate.
President Donald Trump has already indicated that he would sign it.
The bipartisan legislation, has the co-sponsorship of New Hampshire Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, was identical to a separate bill Pappas had authored.
In February 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary order that designated fentanyl as a Schedule 1 drug for two years.
Pappas authored legislation to extend that scheduling act further; without the new bill, the latest extension was to end on Sept. 30.
Pappas said it took so long to get the permanent designation because some congressional leaders wanted to make it part of a comprehensive bill that would be linked to research into the manufacturing of painkilling alternatives to fentanyl, which for many years has been legally prescribed.
''There were larger discussions with law enforcement, and I think the decision was that this was too important an issue to have to wait any longer on,' Pappas said.
The bill is backed by more than 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of more than 200 family groups and law enforcement organizations representing more than a million officers. It also has the support of at least 25 attorneys general, including New Hampshire AG John Formella.
Pappas is a member of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus and he spoke on the House floor Wednesday night on the matter.
'Permanent scheduling will ensure law enforcement retains important tools they need to tackle the opioid crisis and hold traffickers accountable, tools that have helped drive down drug-related deaths in New Hampshire to its lowest level in 10 years,' Pappas said.
'This is thanks to New Hampshire's all-hands-on-deck approach: pairing enforcement with treatment to bring down both the supply of opioids reaching our communities, as well as the demand for them.'
klandrigan@unionleader.com
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