[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S1358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 95--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF 
 FEBRUARY 23, 2025, TO MARCH 1, 2025, AS ``NATIONAL FENTANYL AWARENESS 
WEEK'' AND RAISING AWARENESS OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF FENTANYL IN THE 
                             UNITED STATES

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Mr. Justice) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 95

       Whereas, as of August 2024, drug overdoses during the 
     previous 12 months claimed a reported 86,678 lives in the 
     United States;
       Whereas countless families in the United States are now 
     facing the unimaginable pain of losing a child, mother, 
     father, sibling or loved one taken by deadly, illegal 
     fentanyl;
       Whereas the life expectancy in the United States remains 
     impacted by the opioid crisis, with people born in 2023 
     estimated to live 78.4 years;
       Whereas social isolation and poor support systems 
     contribute to increased overdose risk among older adults;
       Whereas, from 2022 to 2023, adults aged 65 and older 
     experienced the largest percentage increase in the rate of 
     drug overdose deaths, with an increase of 11.4 percent;
       Whereas fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin, and 
     is considered the deadliest drug threat in the United States;
       Whereas drug traffickers use illicit fentanyl to produce 
     fake or counterfeit pills;
       Whereas drug traffickers are using fentanyl-laced fake or 
     counterfeit pills to exploit the opioid crisis in the United 
     States;
       Whereas, without laboratory testing, there is no safe way 
     to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or 
     powder;
       Whereas those illicit drugs are primarily made in secret 
     factories in Mexico with chemicals mostly from China;
       Whereas the Drug Enforcement Agency has issued warnings 
     about brightly-colored fentanyl-laced pills being used to 
     target young individuals in the United States;
       Whereas less than 2 milligrams is considered a deadly dose 
     of fentanyl;
       Whereas the Drug Enforcement Agency announced that in 2024 
     alone, the Drug Enforcement Agency seized over 367,000,000 
     doses of potentially deadly fentanyl, enough to kill every 
     individual in the United States, which included--
       (1) more than 55,000,000 fentanyl-laced pills; and
       (2) 7,800 pounds of fentanyl powder;

       Whereas U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 
     21,889 pounds of fentanyl in fiscal year 2024;
       Whereas fentanyl has also been found in street drugs such 
     as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine; and
       Whereas, according to data from the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention, fentanyl-related poisonings are 
     currently the leading cause of death for individuals in the 
     United States ages 18 to 45: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) applauds the work of Federal, State, and local law 
     enforcement agencies for their work in combating the fentanyl 
     crisis;
       (2) applauds the work of treatment and recovery 
     organizations that help individuals with substance use 
     disorder;
       (3) encourages all individuals to only use medication 
     prescribed through their physician;
       (4) encourages anyone suffering from substance use disorder 
     to seek assistance; and
       (5) designates February 23, 2025, through March 1, 2025, as 
     ``National Fentanyl Awareness Week''.

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