Washington, DC - Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, called on House leadership to pass S. 3201, the "Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act." This legislation-which passed the Senate by unanimous consent last week-would extend for 15 months the classification of fentanyl analogues as a Schedule I drug-a classification which expires on 6 February 2020.

"With the number of drug overdose deaths skyrocketing, the swift consideration and passage of this bill is a matter of urgency," said Yoes. "The House of Representatives should take action to temporarily extend the fentanyl ban and save American lives."

Each day, 200 Americans die from a drug overdose-nearly half now involve fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that's 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin. Depending on the method of administration and other factors, as little as 2 milligrams of illicit fentanyl-similar in size to just a few grains of salt-can be fatal. Congress gave the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) the authority to categorize fentanyl and its analogues as Schedule I drugs in February 2018, but only on a temporary basis.

"The dangers of fentanyl were the subject of a subcommittee hearing today and there was extensive discussion about H.R. 2935, the 'Stopping Overdoses ofFentanyl Analogues Act,' which the FOP also supports," Yoes said. "I hope the Committee favorably reports it and the House passes it. However, there is an urgency to considering and passing S. 3201 to ensure that the dangerous drugs currently on the schedule remain there."

The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement labor organization in the United States, with more than 350,000 members.