Which agency regulates heroin?

• A. FDA
• B. DEA
• C. CPSC
• D. FTC

Answer: (B)

Heroin is a controlled substance that is tightly regulated under the Controlled Substances Act, and the agency responsible for enforcing that act, including scheduling and enforcement actions, is the Drug Enforcement Administration. Heroin is classified as Schedule I, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in the United States; the DEA handles licensing, enforcement, and control of production and distribution of such substances. The FDA regulates legitimate medicines that are approved for medical use, but heroin itself is not approved for medical use, so it isn’t the agency that governs its regulation. The other two agencies focus on consumer products and consumer protection law, not controlled substances enforcement.