Wyden Presses Trump Administration Over Failure to Respond to Emerging Threat of Synthetic Opioids

Wyden Presses Trump Administration Over Failure to Respond to Emerging Threat of Synthetic Opioids

Wyden warns reorganization of key agency could threaten substance abuse work on nitazenes and more

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pressed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over its failure to adequately prepare for emerging drug threats like synthetic opioids known as nitazenes, as well as how its proposed reorganization of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will undermine the agency's work to combat substance abuse.

Today's letter follows a response from HHS to Wyden's call late last year for the Trump administration to crack down on the growing threat of synthetic opioids.

"Furthermore, I am concerned that recent decisions by HHS to dismantle SAMHSA and consolidate it within a larger agency, therefore weakening its existing powers, are inconsistent with the Department's stated commitment to enhanced monitoring and rapid response," Wyden wrote. "These actions risk undermining the ability of states and community-based organizations to detect and respond to emerging synthetic opioids, even as these threats accelerate."

Nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioid are most commonly illicitly manufactured abroad and then smuggled into the United States. While originally developed as pain relievers in the 1950s, nitazenes were never approved for clinical use. Instead, nitazenes have entered the illicit drug supply and can be as much as ten times more potent than fentanyl. Many times, nitazenes are not detectable during field toxicology tests, posing unique challenges to law enforcement's counternarcotics strategies.

Since its inception in 1992, SAMHSA has been a linchpin in helping local communities fight the evolving drug and mental health crises in America. Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced the abrupt cancellation of $2 billion in funding for SAMHSA grants, but then backtracked on the funding cuts less than 24 hours later. Just last month, it was announced that the administration proposed a significant consolidation and reorganization of the agency under Donald Trump's FY2027 budget, threatening staffing and funding levels.

Due to the recent surge in these drugs, Wyden warned that the Trump administration is still vastly unprepared to meet the challenge synthetic opioids are inflicting on people and communities in the United States.

The response from HHS to Sen. Wyden's previous letter is here.

The text of the letter is here.