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The HALT Fentanyl Act: Why Law Enforcement Alone Won’t End the Opioid Crisis

Fentanyl deaths are rising. Get life-saving Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) at CORE Medical Clinic today.

March 19, 2025

C.O.R.E. Medical Clinic Team

The HALT Fentanyl Act: Why Law Enforcement Alone Won’t End the Opioid Crisis

The Ongoing Opioid Crisis and the Role of Legislation

Theopioid epidemiccontinues to devastate communities across the United States, and recent legislative efforts such as theHALT Fentanyl Acthighlight the ongoing debate on how to combat the crisis. While the bill aims toclassify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, history suggests thatharsher sentencing alonedoes little tocurb addiction or prevent overdose deaths. Instead,comprehensive treatment solutions like Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)offer a more effective path to recovery.

The HALT Fentanyl Act: What You Need to Know

TheHALT Fentanyl Actproposes stricterfederal penaltiesforfentanyl-related substances, making possession and distribution subject to harsher sentencing. While proponents argue that increased enforcement will deter trafficking, critics warn that similar approaches in the past—such as the1986 mandatory minimum sentencing laws for crack cocaine—led tomass incarcerationwithout significantly reducing drug-related deaths.

📉Over 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2022 and 2023,with fentanyl playing a major role. Despite aggressive policing efforts,illicit fentanyl continues to flood U.S. streets, proving that punitive measures alone are insufficient to address the crisis.

Why Treatment, Not Just Enforcement, Is Essential

Whilecutting off supply chainsis an important step in reducing drug-related harm,opioid use disorder (OUD) is fundamentally a public health issue. Without treatment, individuals incarcerated for drug possession oftenrelapse upon releasedue to untreated dependency.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)—which combinesFDA-approved medications like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexonewithcounseling and behavioral therapy—has been proven to:

✔Reduce opioid cravings ✔Prevent overdose deaths ✔Improve long-term recovery rates

According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),expanding access to MATand harm reduction strategies—such asnaloxone distribution and safe syringe programs—has been linked tofewer overdose deaths and lower hospitalizations.

How CORE Medical Clinic Can Help

AtCORE Medical Clinic, we believe in acompassionate, evidence-based approachto opioid addiction treatment. Ourmethadone clinics in Sacramento and West SacramentoprovideMedication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)services tailored toeach patient’s unique recovery needs.

Our services include: ✔Methadone treatmentto reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings ✔Buprenorphine treatmentfor opioid dependency ✔Naltrexone therapyto prevent relapse ✔Comprehensive counseling and peer support programs

By focusing onlong-term recovery solutions, we help individualsregain control of their liveswhileminimizing their risk of overdose.

Take the First Step Toward Recovery

Thefentanyl crisisrequires ashift from punitive drug policiestoevidence-based treatment solutions. If you or a loved one is struggling with opioid addiction,help is available.CORE Medical Clinicis dedicated to providing thesupport and resources neededforsustainable recovery.

📍Find a location near you:

📍Sacramento Clinic 2100 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, CA 95816 📞 (916) 442-4985 📩 frontdesk@corecapitol.com

📍West Sacramento Clinic 3990 Industrial Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691 📞 (916) 796-0020 📩 frontdeskwestsac@corecapitol.com

📞Call us today or visit our website to learn more

Recovery is possible—start your journey today.

Educational content from Core Medical Clinic. This article does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Initially, an intake assessment and admission medical history and exam is completed by counseling and medical staff. Treatment options are discussed and a course of action taken. Medication recommendations are made and initated to balance safety and benefit as much as possible. It is very important to let counseling, dispensing and medical staff know how the medication is working or not so appropriate adjustments can be made.

At C.O.R.E., we strive to individualize treatment and maximize success. There is no time pressure. Some do well with short term treatment while others benefit from long term treatment. We know relapse is common and can have disasterous results. We work hard to treat each patient as long as is required to achieve long term success.

First we work closely with the individual to achieve a “normalizing’ dose of medication to alleviate withdrawal and craving while minimizing side effects. Working closely with medical, dispensing and counseling staff most often allows us to achieve this goal in the first few days to weeks.

Not necessarily. C.O.R.E. Medical Clinic serves patients in Sacramento, West Sacramento, and surrounding areas. People often choose a clinic based on accessibility, treatment needs, and location.

C.O.R.E. Medical Clinic accepts several health insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, MHN, Anthem, Medicare, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Optum, Blue Shield of California, Magellan Health, and Western Health Advantage.

As most patients entering treatment know, opioid withdrawal is awful and inevitably leads to continued use. We are sensitive to how terrible the craving, restlessness, anxiety, bone aches, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, sweating, etc. can be. If alcohol, benzodiazepines, stimulants, or other drugs are involved withdrawal can be medically dangerous and require residential or coordinated medical care. Opioid withdrawal can be greatly reduced or eliminated by the early doses provided but again frequent contact with treatment staff for medication adjustments is very important.

The great majority of patients seeking treatment for opioid addiction can continue their normal life, including work, while they are working to find their ’normalizing’ medication dose. If residential or coordinated medical care is required, some time off may be necessary but again this will be individualized. Clinic hours are designed to accommodate the vast majority of working patients.

We work hard to educate patients about the benefits and safety of MAT. Many myths circulate about MAT such as it causing liver problems, bone problems and being harder to get off than fentanyl or heroin. These are absolutely false and will be discussed in detail with your treatment staff. Patients who receive MAT are much healthier than patients not in treatment. Learning to manage common side effects like constipation and weight gain can make patients healthier than they have ever been. All opioids are hard to get off but MAT can set up a very careful and safe detox when a patient is ready. An abrupt short term detox is not advised and can be difficult but a gradual, medically safe detox minimizes withdrawal symptoms. Supplemental safe, non addicting medications can further reduce unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

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