President Signs Executive Order to Address Illicit Fentanyl Recognizes Medical Use

On December 15, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) officially designating illicit fentanyl and its precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction.  The EO is a part of the Administration’s efforts to address illicit fentanyl abuse and related criminal activity. 

This measure targets only illicit-category fentanyl—manufactured, distributed, or possessed outside of the legal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  approved pathways. The EO does not affect medical-use fentanyl. During the signing ceremony, the President recognized the legitimate medical utility of fentanyl, noting: “Fentanyl — a strong opioid painkiller that is widely used in medical settings — very important for medicine, for anesthesia [and] various other things... When it's mixed with certain things, it becomes bad.”  

For anesthesiologists, the supply of legal, pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl should remain uninterrupted and protected. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) actively collaborated with Congress on the HALT Act, which permanently differentiates between illicit and medical fentanyl—ensuring essential access for medical use is safeguarded. The HALT Act was signed into law in July 2025. The Executive Order signed today will harness enhanced federal enforcement against drug traffickers, while preserving anesthesiologists’ access to a medication critical for anesthesiologists.