Get moving on STOP now
Toledo Blade: In September, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, was a co-sponsor of the Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention Act, which would have resulted in closer scrutiny of packages coming from overseas through the U.S. Postal Service. The legislation died at the end of the session and did not see a vote.
Mr. Portman said he will reintroduce the legislation within the next couple of weeks. Congress must act this time. The STOP Act would give law enforcement a valuable tool in cutting off the supply of fentanyl, carfentanil and other synthetic opioids.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s recent report found that fentanyl shipments are flooding into Ohio from China, India, and Mexico.
Ohio is a prime destination for heroin and fentanyl because of the numerous interstates that crisscross the state, giving dealers easy access to major cities in Ohio and nearby states. Ohio had 3,861 positive lab tests for fentanyl in 2015, far more than the 2,556 of second-place Massachusetts.
Congress is divided on many issues, but surely all members should recognize that this is a crisis that is ripping communities apart. The STOP Act is just one tool and one step forward in the fight, but it is a step that must be taken as soon as possible.