119-hres617

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 617 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 617

 Supporting the goals and ideals of Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness 
 Day.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 29, 2025

 Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself and Mr. Tonko) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Supporting the goals and ideals of Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness 
 Day.

Whereas families in the United States affected by the use of illicit fentanyl 
 use Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day to--

    (1) preserve the memory of the individuals lost to illicit fentanyl 
overdose or poisoning who were unsuspecting victims, experimenting with the 
drug, or suffering from substance use disorder;

    (2) acknowledge the devastation caused by the use of illicit fentanyl 
and other dangerous drugs; and

    (3) share awareness about the dangers of the use of illicit fentanyl to 
prevent a public health crisis, self-harm, addiction, and death;

Whereas Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is celebrated each year on August 
 21 by State Governors and attorneys general, the Centers for Disease 
 Control and Prevention, parent-teacher associations, the High Intensity 
 Drug Trafficking Areas program, the Office of National Drug Control 
 Policy, the Drug Enforcement Administration (referred to in this 
 preamble as the ``DEA''), and hundreds of other organizations throughout 
 the United States;
Whereas fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 100 times more 
 potent than morphine;
Whereas, according to the DEA, illicit fentanyl is--

    (1) manufactured with other illicit drugs to increase potency;

    (2) sold as a powder or mixed with other illicit drugs; and

    (3) pressed into counterfeit pills to look like legitimate 
pharmaceutical drugs;

Whereas the illicit fentanyl crisis in the United States is a serious public 
 safety threat;
Whereas the illicit fentanyl poisoning rate in 2024 was among the highest in the 
 history of the United States, and fentanyl poisoning was the number 1 
 cause of death among people in the United States aged 18 to 45;
Whereas synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl and the analogues of fentanyl, are 
 devastating communities and families at an unprecedented rate, claiming 
 \2/3\ of the more than 82,100 lives lost to drug overdoses in 2024;
Whereas, in 2024, the number of drug-related deaths throughout the United States 
 reached not less than 82,138;
Whereas individuals increasingly use pills or other drugs without knowing those 
 substances contain fentanyl;
Whereas, as of June 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel have 
 seized more than 16,600 pounds of illicit fentanyl, and Federal, State, 
 local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies continue to make record 
 breaking seizures of illicit fentanyl for the safety of the people of 
 the United States;
Whereas families in the United States affected by the use of illicit fentanyl 
 have gained momentum in educating the public about the dangers of the 
 use of illicit fentanyl and other drugs and actively engage with Federal 
 agencies to promote such education and awareness;
Whereas families in the United States affected by the use of illicit fentanyl 
 seek to raise awareness of the use of illicit fentanyl and prevent 
 illicit fentanyl-related deaths, and those families join together in the 
 effort to save lives on Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day; and
Whereas parents, young people, schools, businesses, law enforcement agencies, 
 religious institutions and faith-based organizations, service 
 organizations, senior citizens, medical and military personnel, sports 
 teams, and individuals throughout the United States will demonstrate a 
 commitment to healthy, productive, and drug-free lifestyles on Fentanyl 
 Prevention and Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) supports the goals and ideals of Fentanyl Prevention 
 and Awareness Day;

    (2) encourages the people of the United States to promote 
 prevention of the use of illicit fentanyl and to educate young 
 people on Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, symbolizing a 
 commitment to healthy, drug-free lifestyles;

    (3) encourages children, teenagers, and other individuals 
 to choose to live drug-free lives; and

    (4) encourages the people of the United States to--
        (A) promote drug prevention and the creation of 
 drug-free communities; and
        (B) participate in drug prevention activities to 
 show support for healthy, productive, and drug-free 
 lifestyles.
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