Whereas drug traffickers are mass-producing fake or counterfeit pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the people of the United States;

Whereas many fake or counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription name-brand opioids, stimulants, or anxiety medications;

Whereas drug traffickers are using fake or counterfeit pills to exploit prescription drug misuse and the opioid crisis;

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration (referred to in this preamble as the “DEA”) has observed a dramatic rise in the number of counterfeit pills containing not less than 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a deadly dose;

Whereas 5 out of every 10 pills with fentanyl tested by the DEA contain a potentially lethal dose;

Whereas counterfeit pills may also contain fentanyl-related substances and methamphetamine;

Whereas the number of counterfeit pills with fentanyl seized by law enforcement agencies in 2024 was 60,000,000;

Whereas, including the nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder seized in 2024, total fentanyl seizures are equivalent to more than 377,000,000 lethal doses of fentanyl;

Whereas fake or counterfeit pills have been identified in all 50 States and the District of Columbia;

Whereas illicit fentanyl has also been detected in illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy and molly), and methamphetamine;

Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in October 2024, more than 84,000 individuals in the United States died of drug-induced deaths, and more than 58,000 of those deaths involved illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids;

Whereas, over the last 20 years, drug-induced deaths among individuals 15 to 35 years of age have increased 5-fold, largely driven by the increase in illicit fentanyl drugs;

Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in June 2023, illicit fentanyl was involved in more deaths of individuals 55 years of age and under than any single other cause;

Whereas fake counterfeit pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them accessible to teens and youth;

Whereas illicit fentanyl is involved in more deaths of youths than all other drug types combined;

Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 128 percent, a rate of increase which was 77 percentage points higher than the national rate and higher than the rate for any other 5-year age group;

Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, the number of deaths involving illicit fentanyl in drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 236 percent, a rate of increase which was 141 percentage points higher than the national rate and higher than the rate for any other 5-year age group over the age of 15;

Whereas, since 2021, the annual number of drug overdose and poisoning deaths and those deaths involving illicit fentanyl in drug overdose and poisoning deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age has increased;

Whereas, in the 12-month period ending June 2023, illicit fentanyl was involved in 81 percent of drug-induced deaths of individuals between 14 and 23 years of age, compared to 70 percent of drug-induced deaths of individuals of all ages;

Whereas, in 2024, only 65 percent of youth and 55 percent of teens in the United States were aware that fentanyl is being used to create counterfeit pills;

Whereas, in 2024, only 55 percent of youth and 50 percent of teens considered themselves knowledgeable about fentanyl; and

Whereas, in 2024, there were 51,010 reported overdose deaths involving illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids: Now, therefore, be it