A bill introduced Wednesday would help prevent shipments of synthetic drugs from entering the U.S.
The Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act is designed to prevent shipments of dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil to drug traffickers by enabling Customs and Border Protection to better target potential illegal packages.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation comes at a critical time for West Virginia, after the City of Huntington recently experienced 28 heroin overdoses, resulting in two deaths within four hours.
“The drug epidemic has hit West Virginia particularly hard, devastating families and communities in large numbers,” Capito said. “Enough is enough.”
The STOP Act aims to save lives by preventing the shipment of dangerous synthetic drugs so they do not end up in the hands of criminal drug traffickers.
“We run the risk of losing a generation if this epidemic is not stopped, and I will continue working tirelessly to make sure these lethal drugs are eliminated from our communities.”
The STOP Act would require shipments from foreign counties through the postal system to provide electronic advance data — such as who and where the package is coming from, where it is going, and what is included in the package — before packages enter the U.S.
The bill was introduced by Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.