NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — President Donald Trump has signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, better known as the "HALT Fentanyl Act," into law. It's an effort to combat the flow of fentanyl as part of the president's broader crackdown on the country's opioid epidemic.
"Anyone caught trafficking these illicit poisons will be punished with a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence in prison," said President Trump when signing the act into law.
The act also classifies all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I narcotics, such as heroin.
"People do need to be held accountable," said Lisa Reed, a Newport News mother who lost her daughter to fentanyl.
Reed says she believes enforcing tougher fentanyl penalties is long overdue. She lost her daughter, Kaitlyn, to fentanyl four years ago. She says her daughter inadvertently consumed the deadly drug after taking what she thought was an anti-depressant drug from a drug dealer.
While this law comes too late for Reed, she says she's proud that this moment will bring justice for many families as she remembers her daughter.
According to the DEA, last year, nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in the U.S involved synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl. The HALT Fentanyl Act will boost funding for border and immigration enforcement agencies and activities related to combating trafficking of drugs, including fentanyl.
