We have said before that taking domains away from drug dealers would be a game-changer for patient safety.

The 2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy illustrates just how important legislation like the DRUGS Act that locks and suspends domains of criminal online drug sellers.

The review covers notorious online website marketplaces around the world that sell illegal goods, and cites three different "bulletproof" domain hosts who refuse to lock and suspend websites conducting criminal activity.

Bulletproof domain hosts are used by criminals because they refuse to cooperate with law enforcement to shut down websites hosting illegal activity. This worsens the opioid crisis by enabling criminals who illegally sell counterfeit drugs or controlled substances.

The DRUGS Act is another step in making the online community safer. It gives law enforcement power to target bad actors online that sell illicit and counterfeit drugs and disrupt their operations by locking their domain names.

For example, this fake online pharmacy was operating outside US borders and offering acetyl fentanyl, crystal meth, and cocaine.

It also offered Xanax which is a controlled substance requiring a prescription. This company does not have a pharmacy license in the US to legally dispense here. It's domain name was suspended and eventually the site shut down, but not all domain name hosts will do that.

We think that if law enforcement has proof of illegal online drug sales that they should be allowed to disrupt their operations by locking their domain names.

Learn how you can support the DRUGS Act legislation aimed at blocking the online sale of controlled substances and counterfeit medicines at safedr.ug/DRUGS-Act.