02/26/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A3gUW1L3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02/25/2025
Warning to Impacted Families: Misinformation Campaign Targeting Grieving Loved Ones on the HALT Fentanyl Act
Facing Fentanyl is issuing a warning to impacted families regarding a misleading campaign being circulated by opposition groups attempting to undermine support for the HALT Fentanyl Act (S.331). We have received reports that individuals opposing this bill are actively preying on grieving families, spreading false narratives about their loved ones’ deaths, and pressuring them into withdrawing support for critical legislation that could prevent future deaths. We want to make clear that while we are not intimidated by the opposition, we are firmly opposed to the dissemination of misinformation and to those who exploit bereaved families for their own agenda.
It has come to our attention that opposition organizers are contacting bereaved families, discrediting the manner of death for their child or loved one. These deceptive tactics are deeply troubling and disrespectful to families who have already suffered unimaginable loss.
The HALT Fentanyl Act is a necessary step in addressing the fentanyl crisis by ensuring that all fentanyl-related substances remain classified as Schedule I drugs, closing loopholes that have allowed traffickers to continue introducing deadly fentanyl analogues into our communities. This bill is about saving lives—not about partisan politics, as these opposition groups falsely claim.
What You Need to Know About the Misinformation Campaign:
• Opposition groups are falsely telling families that the HALT Fentanyl Act would not have prevented their loved one’s death. This is misleading and ignores the reality of how fentanyl is trafficked and sold.
Some families are callously told that their loved one’s death was merely the result of a pre-existing addiction rather than a single unsuspecting use of a fentanyl-made substance. This is an outrageous and cruel misrepresentation of their grief—especially when so many people had no idea, they were ingesting fentanyl at all. Meanwhile, opponents of legislation continue to trivialize these deaths by insisting every fentanyl-related fatality stems exclusively from addiction. The reality is that illicit fentanyl is purposely manufactured to kill or ensnare individuals in addiction without discrimination. It claims the lives of the unsuspecting, the innocent, those who experiment, our youth at record rates, and tragically, many people already suffering from substance use disorder.
• Opponents are using fear tactics, claiming that this bill increases racial disparities, when in reality, it targets the traffickers and cartels responsible for the spread of fentanyl, not individuals struggling with addiction.
• The opposition claims that scheduling fentanyl-related substances prevents research, but this is false—the HALT Fentanyl Act includes provisions to ensure necessary research continues.
We Stand with Families Fighting for Real Change
Facing Fentanyl will not stand by while grieving families are misled and manipulated. The HALT Fentanyl Act is critical to stopping the spread of illicit fentanyl and holding traffickers accountable. Our organization continues to work alongside bipartisan lawmakers, law enforcement, and prevention advocates who understand the urgency of addressing the fentanyl crisis.
We urge families to be cautious of false information being circulated and to trust their own lived experiences. If you have any concerns or are being contacted by opposition groups attempting to mislead you, please know Facing Fentanyl supports all impacted families.
Together, we will continue to fight for policies that protect our loved ones and prevent further loss.
For media inquiries or more information, please contact:
Andrea Thomas
Facing Fentanyl
970.250.8449
Facing Fentanyl Media
Voices for Awareness Foundation
Michael Fiore
Adrienne Sautter
Colorado Coalition for Families Affected by Fentanyl- CCFAF
Jeanie Bothell
Jaime Ignacio Puerta
