Kustoff, Spanberger Reintroduce Legislation to Combat Counterfeit Drugs
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), today reintroduced the bipartisan Criminalizing Abused Substance Templates (CAST) Act. The CAST Act modifies the Controlled Substances Act to define the criminal penalty for making counterfeit drugs using a pill press.
Current law prohibits this practice but does not define the penalty. The CAST Act will make possession of a pill press mold, with the intent to counterfeit schedule I or II substances, a crime and allow for sentencing on possession alone for up to 20 years.
"Now more than ever, deadly drugs, such as fentanyl, are flooding our communities and taking countless, innocent lives in West Tennessee and across the country," said Congressman Kustoff. "I am proud to reintroduce the CAST Act to provide stricter penalties against possession of harmful counterfeit drugs as well as pill press molds. This bill is an important step forward in our effort to combat the opioid epidemic that is currently plaguing our nation. I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to support this crucial legislation that will protect all Americans from dangerous counterfeit drugs.”
“The overdose crisis and the rising scourge of fentanyl are made worse by those who use illicit pill presses to manufacture counterfeit drugs. As a former federal law enforcement officer and CIA case officer who worked narcotics trafficking cases, I believe in labeling these individuals as who they truly are — criminals,” said Congresswoman Spanberger. “That’s why I’m proud to once again join Congressman Kustoff in reintroducing our CAST Act to hold these criminals accountable. By both stepping up penalties for manufacturing these deadly drugs and prioritizing support for treatment and recovery programs, we can help more Americans fight addiction, reduce the number of overdoses we see on our streets, and tackle fentanyl on all fronts.”
Background:
Currently, federal statutes contain provisions criminalizing the possession of pill molds, but they lack a penalty description for their possession. Their use to produce counterfeit drugs is penalized with a penalty of up to 10 years, yet their possession carries no specified penalty. Counterfeit drugs not only feed into the illicit drug market, but may also result in increased drug interactions, allergic responses, and other injuries to people who believe they are buying a trustworthy, branded substance. Given this policy gap, these devices warrant strict regulation, and it is essential that we enhance the sentencing and criminality of possession of controlled substance counterfeiting paraphernalia in order to prevent further negative repercussions.
The Criminalizing Abused Substance Templates Act will provide the needed penalty description in order to combat the illegal drug market and the dangers it presents to our citizens and brave law enforcement officers.
Click here to read the full text of the bill.
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