Dent cracks down on drug abuse by seeking to ban substances found in synthetic drugs

In an effort to halt a drug addiction crisis across the nation, the sale of compounds used to develop synthetic drugs would be banned under bipartisan legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA).

The Synthetic Drug Control Act, H.R. 1732, would require the attorney general to reclassify 250 synthetic drug substances under Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) with other banned substances deemed to have no accepted medical uses and high potential for abuse, such as heroin and LSD.

“The devastation that synthetic substances and drugs have caused in my district and across the country is heartbreaking,” Dent said. “Protecting our communities from these unnatural compounds has been a longstanding priority, and the Synthetic Drug Control Act will ensure that the dangers posed by these drugs are properly acknowledged and addressed.”

Substances identified in H.R. 1732 are currently marketed as harmless household products like bath salts and plant food that are sold under brand names like K2 and Spice.

“As demonstrated by the horrific flakka killing in Bethlehem last year, and by many other incidents of overdoses, synthetic drugs are a public safety threat and should be kept off the streets,” Dent said. “This bill will restrict the sale and spread of these lab-produced substances and aid law enforcement in their ongoing work to keep our communities safe.”

Dent was joined by U.S. Reps. Jim Himes (D-CT) and Lou Barletta (R-PA) in introducing H.R. 1732.

“I am proud to have worked with my friend, Charlie Dent, on this strong, bipartisan legislation,” Himes said. “Communities across the nation are being torn apart by the opioid epidemic and other drug-related crises. Synthetic drugs, which include variations of the extremely dangerous opioid fentanyl, are exacerbating an already out of control problem. This bill bans some of the worst synthetic drugs, which are nothing more than unregulated poison masquerading as a harmless high and marketed toward young people.”