Joyce Aims to Crack Down on Counterfeit Pill Production with New Legislation

Jun 23, 2022
Opioid Crisis
Press
Public Safety

Takes action following the tragic overdose deaths of two OSU students

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) joined Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) in introducing the Stop Pills That Kill Act. This legislation would implement new penalties for counterfeit pill production. The bill comes in the wake of the deaths of two Ohio State University (OSU) students, Tiffany Iler and Jessica Lopez, who overdosed on counterfeit Adderall pills laced with fentanyl.

“Drug traffickers are mass-producing fake pills, often with fentanyl, without any care as to who their poisons kill,” said Congressman Joyce. “I’m proud to lead the effort to ramp up criminal penalties to deter this illegal activity, which has increasingly targeted minors and young adults. We cannot allow these criminals to continue to break apart families and threaten the safety of our communities. This important legislation will help authorities crack down on the rising production of counterfeit pills and prevent tragic overdose deaths like Tiffany and Jessica’s.”

Many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, and Xanax, or, as seen in the recent tragedy at OSU, stimulants like Adderall. These fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone.

In 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 20 million counterfeit pills, more than the previous two years combined. These pills were often laced with lethal doses of fentanyl. In fact, recent DEA lab analyses reveal that two out of every five fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. These counterfeit pills have been seized by DEA in every U.S. state in unprecedented quantities.

“In Eastern Colorado and across the nation, families, businesses, and communities continue to face hardships due to the opioid epidemic,” said Congressman Buck. “As this public health crisis continues to fester, this legislation — supported by Republicans and Democrats in both Houses of Congress — will take an important step in a multifaceted approach to crack down on dangerous counterfeit pills that are killing Americans in droves.”

Specifically, the Stop Pills That Kill Act would ensure that existing penalties for possessing paraphernalia used to manufacture methamphetamine would also apply to possessing paraphernalia used to make counterfeit pills that contain methamphetamine, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues. Additionally, the legislation directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and amend the sentencing guidelines to increase legal penalties for a defendant who knowingly misrepresented a counterfeit pill that contains fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue as a genuine prescription drug or over-the-counter medication. 

The bill also requires the DEA to issue a comprehensive plan to tackle the increasing spread of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl or methamphetamine. Additionally, it requires the Attorney General to work with the DEA and the Office of National Drug Control Policy to issue an annual report to Congress, with a goal of helping lawmakers learn more about the scope of seizures, investigations, prosecutions, and public awareness of the dangers associated with pills laced with illicit drugs.

The Stop Pills That Kill Act, which has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is supported by the National District Attorneys Association, National Rural Health Association, National Narcotics Officers Association Coalition, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Community Anti-Drug Coalition, National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Song for Charlie and Victims of Illicit Drugs.

###

Recent Posts


Sep 24, 2024
Great Lakes

Joyce Applauds $300,000 in Funding for Talcott Creek

GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) announced $300,000 in funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’s (GLRI) Sediment and Nutrient Reduction program to reduce sediment pollution in Talcott Creek in Thompson, Ohio. This funding is authorized through Congressman Joyce’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2020 which was signed into law in 2021.   “Since […]



Sep 24, 2024
Public Safety

Joyce Bipartisan Bill to Support Human Trafficking Survivors and Investigators Heads to President’s Desk 

WASHINGTON D.C. – Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14), Elissa Slotkin (MI-07), Ann Wagner (MO-02), and Dina Titus’ (NV-01) IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act to provide survivors of human trafficking and the law enforcement officers working to combat these terrible crimes the resources and support they need. U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and James Lankford […]



Sep 19, 2024
Social Security & Medicare

Joyce Signs Discharge Petition to Force a House Vote on Social Security Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) signed a discharge petition to force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on bipartisan legislation to eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The discharge petition, led by Representatives Garret Graves (LA-06) and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), reached 218 signers, meaning H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, will […]