Trump signs bill making tough sentences for fentanyl trafficking permanent
USA Today2 days
This law is a key win in the fight against fentanyl traffickers and drug cartels exploiting legal loopholes. Making fentanyl a permanent Schedule I drug gives law enforcement consistent tools to act. Along with Trump’s border security moves and labeling cartels as terrorists, it forms a tough, comprehensive response to a deadly national crisis.
While the bill has bipartisan support, it revives failed “tough on crime” policies that emphasize punishment over treatment. It could worsen racial disparities, hitting Black communities hardest, and fail to tackle the root causes of addiction or boost treatment funding. Public health experts argue it ignores proven strategies like harm reduction.
The number of drug overdose deaths in the United States will be 116k in 2026 and 117k in 2028, according to the Metaculus prediction community.