AGs Urge Passage of SOFA Act
A letter to congressional leaders signed by 52 state and territorial attorneys general urges passage of the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act, saying it "utilizes catch-all language which will allow the Drug Enforcement Agency to proactively schedule all newly modified fentanyl analogues and thus will assist law enforcement's efforts on the front end."
Attorneys general from almost every U.S. state have signed a letter urging the top Republicans and Democrats in Congress to pass the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act, known as the SOFA Act. Colorado's AG, Cynthia H. Coffman, announced Sept. 7 that she joined the group of 52 state and territory attorneys general to urge Congress to pass the bill, saying it will help end the opioid epidemic and close a loophole that allows those who traffic fentanyl to stay a step ahead of law enforcement.
Their letter tells House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that the AGs support S.1553 and H.R. 4922, the SOFA Act, because it "utilizes catch-all language which will allow the Drug Enforcement Agency to proactively schedule all newly modified fentanyl analogues and thus will assist law enforcement's efforts on the front end. The SOFA Act unplugs the entire fentanyl machine in the first instance by making fentanyl analogues illegal as soon as they are manufactured, which occurs most often abroad in countries without adequate controls."
"The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across Colorado," said Coffman. "The increasing array of fentanyl analogues starting to creep into our state highlights the need for law enforcement and our partners at the DEA to act quickly to stop the spread of these dangerous drugs to our citizens."
On Sept. 6, Coffman filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma L.P. and Purdue Pharma, Inc., alleging that the companies' fraudulent and deceptive marketing of prescription opioids played a significant role in causing the opioid epidemic in Colorado and the rest of the country. The lawsuit claims the companies misled Colorado health care providers and consumers about the addiction risks associated with prescription opioids and encouraged doctors to prescribe more opioids and at higher doses for longer periods of time.