Beating the Opioid Crisis via USPS

Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tom Carper (D-DE) Looking to Stop Opioids from Entering the U.S. Through the Postal Service

Republicans and Democrats may not appear to agree on a lot these days. One subject one parties do agree on is the need to combat the opioid epidemic and two senators are spearheading a bipartisan effort to identify and prevent synthetic opioids from entering the country via the U.S. Postal Service.

“Our report found that we have opioids coming in from China they’re synthetic, coming in through our mail system. Made some evil chemist in China. And right into our communities. " - Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)

China is the largest producer worldwide of the synthetic opioid fentanyl which has received a lot of media attention lately for fentanyl overdoses causing the deaths of celebrities Tom Petty and Prince. It's a drug with a reach that includes both urban and rural--ravaging cities like Baltimore and Chicago. Fentanyl usage has also spiked in states like Tennessee, Maryland, and Sen. Portman's home state of Ohio.

"We have is the ability to use technology to intercept the packages when they’re coming from China or a lot of other places." - Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)