New US law targets fentanyl-related copycat drugs driving overdose deaths

US President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill aimed at quelling the fentanyl crisis sweeping America.  

The law targets all fentanyl-related drugs, including copycat versions of the potent opioid that evade current US regulations.

Illegal forms of the drug, often made in China, have been driving US overdose deaths for years. 

"With this bill, we are officially and permanently classifying all fentanyl related substances as Schedule 1 narcotics, which is actually a very big deal," Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House on Wednesday.

"That doesn't sound like much. It's a big deal, as they will tell you. Meaning, anyone caught trafficking these illicit poisons will be punished with a mandatory ten year minimum sentence in prison. We'll be getting the drug dealers, pushers and peddlers off our street and we will not rest until we have ended the drug overdose epidemic. And it's been getting a little bit better, but it's horrible. It's horrible." 

More than 70,000 Americans died of opioid overdose in 2023, according to official statistics. That number has dropped significantly in the last year but as of February 2025, overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Doctors sometimes prescribe fentanyl for severe pain. The legislation does not affect fentanyl when used for medical purposes.