SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Attorney general Sean Reyes is joining forces with law enforcement officials from across the country urging the U.S. Senate to pass the Halt Fentanyl Act.
HALT, stands for Halt All Lethal Trafficking when it comes fentanyl.
"I think fentanyl is on a temporary schedule one, and this bill would permanently make fentanyl a schedule one drug," said Richard Piatt, communications director with Reyes' office.
According to the Utah Department of Health, fentanyl deaths doubled from 53 in 2019 to 120 the following year. The number of seizures of fentanyl pills by law enforcement has also sharply increased; in 2018, the department says nearly 11,000 pills were seized which increased to more than 85,000 by 2021.
"Law enforcement needs every tool that they can get to take, to take on, not only the use and abuse of it here at home, but the transport of fentanyl and illegally-made fentanyl from across the Mexico border," added Piatt.
However, some medical professionals in Utah say they have concerns.
"When I look through the legislation, I do not feel that they are being very thoughtful in the way that they are scheduling these substances," said Dr. Jennifer Plumb, medical director with Utah Naxolone. "Schedule one is a substance that they say has no medical use utility at all."
"There are fentanyl products that we use in the medical system, there are some that have been identified."
Plumb says the state has gone from fourth in overdose deaths in 2012 to 42nd as of 2021. She says the HALT legislation is not the right tool for the problem.
"It's going take health care. It's going take public health. It's going to take the criminal justice system. It's going take the treatment and support folks, what it's not going take, is an increased punishment angle," she said.
The HALT Fentanyl Act has already made it through the U.S. House, with Reyes' office saying they are hopeful the Senate will pass it as soon as possible.
