Biden administration announces new actions to deter ‘scourge of fentanyl’ and other drugs

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new policies to help prevent the distribution of dangerous drugs such as fentanyl. With the introduction of the new National Security Memorandum, the administration will call on Congress to increase penalties to hold criminals accountable who engage in the harmful trafficking of deadly narcotics.

“Far too many Americans have lost children, spouses, and friends to dangerous drugs like illicitly manufactured fentanyl. It is a scourge that has no geographic or political boundaries, wreaking havoc on families and communities in all parts of America,” read a statement from the White House. “That’s why since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has made disrupting the supply of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic drugs a core priority.”

“And so today, President Biden will issue a new National Security Memorandum calling on all relevant Federal Departments and Agencies to do even more to stop the supply of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in our country,” read the release. “President Biden and Vice President Harris also are calling on Congress to enact legislation to increase penalties on those who bring deadly drugs into our communities and to close loopholes that drug traffickers exploit.”

Biden’s National Security Memorandum encourages federal agencies to increase efforts to prevent the supply and distribution of harmful and dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. The NSM acknowledges the challenges created in preventing the trafficking of such drugs, explicitly citing how “drug traffickers and suppliers adapt,” however, it calls for more collaborative efforts among all federal agencies to “disrupt the production and distribution of illicit fentanyl.” It emphasizes that all agencies must work together and “do even more” to prevent fentanyl and opioids from plaguing the country.

Additionally, the administration encourages Congress to pass its “Detect and Defeat” proposal, which would facilitate the government to take more active steps to “detect and seize illicit drugs and hold drug traffickers accountable.” This includes such steps as new technology to target “small-dollar” drug shipments that often go unchecked or are outright ignored, yet those products cause significant problems in communities nationwide. It would also establish a federal registry that could detect machines that produce illegitimate fentanyl pills and the criminals who utilize them. 

Furthermore, the new efforts from the Biden administration would also permanently classify fentanyl substances as “Schedule I” drugs, which maximizes criminal justice penalties against those who engage in possessing and distributing them, according to the White House’s release.