Dear Senators Cornyn and Coons,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to voice our support for S. 4984, the “Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act,” which require all pill presses to be engraved with a unique serial number and impose penalties for obscuring or obliterating these numbers.
Fake pills laced with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids are deliberately manufactured and sold to look like Adderall or Xanax which has caused a surge in accidental overdoses. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), seven out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills contained a potentially lethal dose of the drug. Drug dealers and larger narcotic operations like cartels are able to manufacture these fake pills using pill presses—the same devices that are used by legitimate pharmaceutical companies.
The use of pill presses makes fentanyl-laced drugs virtually indistinguishable from legitimate prescription drugs. Under the Controlled Substances Act, companies must keep records on pill presses and these records have enabled the DEA to seize this equipment, but these seizures account for only a small percentage of those being used by the cartels. Federal law enforcement, including the DEA, believe that serializing pill presses will help identify and prosecute cartels and other dangerous drug traffickers and reduce the number of accidental overdose deaths nationwide.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you both for your leadership on this issue. If I can be of any help or provide additional information in support of this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President