Bloomberg Law
Sept. 2, 2021, 8:19 PM

Biden’s Acting Drug Czar Asks Congress for Opioid Crackdown Help

Ian Lopez
Ian Lopez
Senior Reporter

The Biden administration is asking Congress to permanently classify illicit fentanyl-related drugs alongside heroin and ecstasy, one day after a bankruptcy court approved Purdue Pharma LP‘s plan to resolve thousands of opioid lawsuits.

Permanently classifying the drugs as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act, a category reserved for substances with high potential for misuse and physical and/or psychological dependence, would help law enforcement pursue opioid traffickers and manufacturers, acting Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Regina LaBelle wrote in a letter to Congress.

Other recommendations include approving a Department of Health and Human Services process for striking ...