In Washington, a new push on Capitol Hill is zeroing in on nitazenes, an ultra potent class of synthetic opioids that experts say is increasingly slipping into the illicit drug supply. The Stop Nitazenes Act would move the entire class into Schedule I, the federal government’s most restrictive drug category, which supporters argue will give prosecutors and law enforcement sharper tools to go after the substances.
What the bill would do
Rep. Bob Latta introduced the Strengthening Tools to Outlaw Poisonous (STOP) Nitazenes Act, H.R. 7970, in mid March, according to his office. Latta.house.gov says the bill would permanently classify 2 benzylbenzimidazole opioids, the chemical family commonly known as nitazenes, as Schedule I controlled substances.
Why experts are alarmed
Public health experts at a recent House hearing, along with published surveillance data, warn that nitazene analogs do not all look alike when it comes to strength. Some, like metonitazene, are roughly comparable to fentanyl, while others, including isotonitazene, protonitazene and etonitazene, can far exceed fentanyl’s potency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found. CDC reports also note that naloxone can reverse nitazene overdoses, but often only after multiple doses, which can complicate already tense emergency responses.
The bill was one of several public safety measures taken up at a March 26 House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing titled “Policies to Protect Our Communities From Illicit Drug Threats.” A notice from the House Energy and Commerce Committee lists H.R. 7970 alongside companion proposals aimed at xylazine and other emerging drug threats.
Witnesses at the hearing warned lawmakers that nitazenes are an especially troubling addition to an already volatile drug supply. As KXAN reported, Pat Aussem testified that nitazenes “increase the risk of overdose,” and that while some analogs are similar in strength to fentanyl, “others can be five times more powerful or more.” KXAN also quoted Rep. Diana DeGette stressing that scheduling and prosecution alone will not solve the problem, arguing that communities also need education, prevention and treatment resources.
Legal implications
Placing nitazenes in Schedule I would formally declare that the substances have no accepted medical use and are subject to the tightest controls under federal law. That status triggers the highest level of criminal penalties and strict requirements for research, registration and handling. Department of Justice guidance describes Schedule I as reserved for drugs with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, sharply limiting anyone’s ability to legally manufacture, distribute or prescribe them.
H.R. 7970 is still under committee consideration and must clear the Energy and Commerce subcommittee before it can reach the House floor for a vote, according to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Lawmakers at the hearing also weighed companion measures and repeatedly returned to the need for treatment and prevention alongside enforcement. A recent laboratory surveillance report shows nitazenes appearing more frequently alongside fentanyl in some drug samples, a trend that has prompted calls for expanded testing and wider naloxone distribution.
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