Huizenga welcomes passage of anti-fentanyl legislation

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Congressman Bill Huizenga is hailing passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act in the U.S. House last week. He tells us the legislation, which he co-sponsored, is intended to crack down on the production of fentanyl by classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I narcotics.

“There’s a chemical combination that crates the definition of fentanyl, and what we were having some of these chemists do, they were going in and changing one or two of the ingredients slightly, and it’s no longer legally technically fentanyl,” Huizenga said. “So, we broadened the definition of that to encompass all of those products.”

Huizenga says the plan will help law enforcement adapt to the fact that cartels are smuggling not just fentanyl, but similar formulations called fentanyl-related substances. He adds the bill also increases the ability of law enforcement to enforce the rules by imposing minimum sentencing requirements on fentanyl-related substances. He says fentanyl is a leading cause of death for those ages 18 to 49 both nationwide and in southwest Michigan.