The Bipartisan, Bicameral “Nitazene Control Act” Would Close Loopholes That Traffickers Exploit While Selling Nitazenes to Make Our Communities Safer
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) celebrates the introduction of his bipartisan Nitazene Control Act in the U.S. Senate. U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) introduced the U.S. Senate version of the Nitazene Control Act, which will address the alarming rise of nitazenes — a class of synthetic opioids up to 40 times stronger than fentanyl and driving a new wave of overdose deaths across the United States.
This bipartisan legislation would permanently schedule the entire class of nitazenes under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, closing loopholes that traffickers exploit by making slight chemical changes to a synthetic drug to evade enforcement.
“Nitazenes are the next fentanyl — cheap to produce, easy to traffic, and devastatingly lethal. Too many families already have an empty seat at the table because of these synthetic drugs. I’m proud to work across the aisle to confront this crisis, protect our communities, and give law enforcement the tools to save lives,” said Vindman. “I’m encouraged by our bipartisan legislation’s momentum in the U.S. Senate, and I will continue to work to keep nitazenes and other deadly substances out of our communities.”
“Families across Arizona have already been torn apart by the opioid and fentanyl epidemic, and now nitazenes threaten to make this crisis even worse. These synthetic opioids are stronger and deadlier than fentanyl, and they are starting to be abused more frequently,” said Gallego. “The Nitazene Control Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to keep these drugs out of our communities and save lives. I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill to protect Arizona families from the next wave of the opioid epidemic.”
“The fact that nitazenes are oftentimes more deadly than fentanyl, which killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year alone, should be a wakeup call to us all. We need to take immediate action to close loopholes, crack down on traffickers, and ensure that these deadly narcotics do not cause the same devastation that we saw with fentanyl,” said McCormick. “I’m proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep our communities safe.”
Vindman introduced the Nitazene Control Act in August 2025 with Congressman Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.-05). It is the first ever bill introduced in the U.S. Congress to address nitazenes.
“I’m proud to work with Rep. Vindman on the Nitazene Control Act to stop what could become the next major wave of the opioid crisis,” said Baumgartner. “Nitazenes are extremely powerful synthetic drugs, even stronger than fentanyl, and they’re already appearing in fake pills and street drugs across the country. We need to act now. This bill takes a smart, proactive approach by cracking down on these drugs before they spread further, while still allowing for legitimate medical research. It’s a targeted response to a dangerous and fast-moving threat.”
BACKGROUND
Vindman has long been engaged in the fight against fentanyl — backing the HALT Fentanyl Act, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, and increased federal resources for law enforcement and treatment programs to address the opioid crisis. He has also introduced the Tracking Online Sales of Fentanyl Act to address fentanyl sales online and the Supporting Healthy Mothers and Infants Act to support mothers with substance use disorder.
The introduction of the Nitazene Control Act marks a major milestone in Congress’s effort to combat the opioid epidemic and underscores the urgency of a bipartisan response to a fast-evolving public health crisis.
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