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This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as Supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2026, including increasing individual and public awareness of the impact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills on families and young people..
Issued
April 29, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextSENATE RESOLUTION 704—SUPPORTING THE MISSION AND GOALS OF NATIONAL
PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF FAKE OR COUNTERFEIT FENTANYL PILLS ON
FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 704
Whereas drug traffickers are mass-producing fake or
counterfeit pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate
prescription pills to deceive the people of the United
States;
Whereas many fake or counterfeit pills are made to look
like prescription name-brand opioids, stimulants, or anxiety
medications;
Whereas drug traffickers are using fake or counterfeit
pills to exploit prescription drug misuse and the opioid
crisis;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration (referred to in
this preamble as the “DEA”) has observed a dramatic rise in
the number of counterfeit pills containing not less than 2
milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a deadly dose;
Whereas 5 out of every 10 pills with fentanyl tested by the
DEA contain a potentially lethal dose;
Whereas counterfeit pills may also contain fentanyl-related
substances and methamphetamine;
Whereas the number of counterfeit pills with fentanyl
seized by law enforcement agencies in 2025 was more than
47,000,000;
Whereas, including the nearly 10,000 pounds of fentanyl
powder seized in 2025, total fentanyl seizures are equivalent
to more than 369,000,000 lethal doses of fentanyl;
Whereas fake or counterfeit pills have been identified in
all 50 States and the District of Columbia;
Whereas illicit fentanyl has also been detected in illicit
drugs such as heroin, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy and molly), and
methamphetamine;
Whereas, for the 12-month period ending in October 2025,
nearly 70,000 individuals in the United States died of drug-
induced deaths, and more than 37,000 of those deaths involved
illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids;
Whereas, in 2023, illicit fentanyl was involved in more
deaths of individuals 55 years of age and under than any
single other cause;
Whereas fake counterfeit pills are easily accessible and
often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making
them accessible to teens and youth;
Whereas illicit fentanyl is involved in more deaths of
youths than all other drug types combined;
Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, drug overdose and poisoning
deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 128
percent, a rate of increase which was 77 percentage points
higher than the national rate and higher than the rate for
any other 5-year age group;
Whereas, between 2019 and 2021, the number of deaths
involving illicit fentanyl in drug overdose and poisoning
deaths for individuals 14 to 18 years of age increased by 236
percent, a rate of increase which was 141 percentage points
higher than the national rate
and higher than the rate for any other 5-year age group over
the age of 15;
Whereas, in 2024, only 65 percent of youth and 55 percent
of teens in the United States were aware that fentanyl is
being used to create counterfeit pills;
Whereas, in 2024, only 55 percent of young adults and 50
percent of teens considered themselves knowledgeable about
fentanyl; and
Whereas, in 2025, there were tens of thousands of reported
overdose deaths involving illicit fentanyl and other
synthetic opioids: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) supports the recognition and goals of National Fentanyl
Awareness Day, which include increasing individual and public
awareness of the impact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills
on families and young people;
(2) applauds the work of Federal, State, and local law
enforcement agencies that work to combat the proliferation of
counterfeit pills;
(3) encourages the use of existing authorities to
proactively stop and prevent the spread of illicit
counterfeit pills; and
(4) designates April 29, 2026, as “National Fentanyl
Awareness Day”.