WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and colleagues introduced a resolution designating April 29th, 2025, as “National Fentanyl Awareness Day” to highlight the dangers of counterfeit fentanyl pills.
“Tens of thousands of Americans die each year from fentanyl. In President Trump’s first 100 Days, Republicans have done their best to fight this epidemic, including advancing my HALT Fentanyl Act,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Let’s bring the death toll to zero.”
“Fentanyl overdoses claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans last year, many of whom suffered from accidental poisonings after taking counterfeit prescription pills. President Trump has taken strong action to stem the flow of fentanyl pills. Additionally, Congress must act to hold corporations accountable for their role in the illicit drug trade,” Grassley said. “Our resolution demonstrates continuing resolve to put an end to America’s fentanyl epidemic.” “Fentanyl overdoses claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans last year, many of whom suffered from accidental poisonings after taking counterfeit prescription pills. President Trump has taken strong action to stem the flow of fentanyl pills. Additionally, Congress must act to hold corporations accountable for their role in the illicit drug trade,” said Senator Grassley. “Our resolution demonstrates continuing resolve to put an end to America’s fentanyl epidemic.”
Cassidy and Grassley were joined by U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Fetterman (D-PA), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jim Justice (R-WV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Todd Young (R-IN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Susan Collins (R-ME).
Background
In February, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor amid Senate Democrats’ attempt to undermine his HALT Fentanyl Act to make permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Drug overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl, are the leading cause of death among young adults aged 18 to 45 years old. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl account for 66 percent of the total U.S. overdose deaths. In the last two fiscal years, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized record amounts of fentanyl —nearly 50,000 pounds—enough to produce more than 2 billion lethal doses. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2023, there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths—74,702 of which were attributed to fentanyl. This was primarily fueled by synthetic opioids, including illegal fentanyl, which are largely manufactured in Mexico from raw materials supplied by China. In 2022, there were over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), more than doubling the amount seized in 2021.
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