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A bipartisan bill aimed at stemming the country's paralyzing opioid epidemic would make US aid dependent on fentanyl-producing countries, such as China, co-operative in drug investigations. The law blocking deadly fentanyl imports, proposed by US senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) And Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Would also require the State Department to identify fentanyl-producing countries in its annual report . drug trafficking.
"The epidemic of opioids and heroin has become increasingly deadly in part because of the widespread presence of illicit fentanyl," said Toomey, announcing the bill on his site Web. "Since fentanyl can be fifty times more potent than heroin, a tiny amount of this dangerous substance can kill a person, including first responders who may be inadvertently exposed to a victim or crime scene. . "
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Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid analgesic that is approved to treat severe pain, usually in advanced cancer patients. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most recent cases of fentanyl-related damage, overdose and death are linked to illegal versions of the drug and sold by illegal vendors. It is often mixed with heroin or cocaine with or without the knowledge of the user.
In July 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration released a report stating that hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills have entered the market since 2014, some containing deadly amounts of fentanyl.
The US Senate has released its own findings this year, stating that fentanyl can be easily purchased online from foreign drug companies, particularly from China. However, tracking these products has proven difficult, as even minute amounts of medication can yield significant benefits.
In June, customs and border protection officers seized 110 pounds of fentanyl from China in Philadelphia, valued at $ 1.7 billion, and deemed lethal enough to destroy the Pennsylvania population twice.
US postal services and customs and border protection have redoubled their efforts to detect and track shipments from abroad, but experts warn that manufacturers will find new ways to smuggle goods.
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"The interdiction agencies are trying to become smarter, which is of course what they have to do," said Mark Kleiman, director of Crime and Justice at the Marron Institute of New York University. in June. "But we should not count on success, and we should adopt a policy as if these drugs would be readily available."
The Senate passed another opioid bill earlier this month, which included provisions to limit the illegal import of fentanyl through the postal system by improving digital tracking of international parcels.
According to Toomey and Jones' proposal, fentanyl-producing countries would lose access to the Export-Import Bank and would not be eligible for other taxpayer-subsidized US support if they did not cooperate with US authorities.
Toomey had previously called on the Obama administration to pressure China to stop fentanyl production and block its export, according to the Times Online. He also co-sponsored resolutions calling it a "public health crisis".
"In the interest of our communities and the security of law enforcement forces, countries like China must stop illegally exporting fentanyl and improve their efforts to fight drugs." , he said on his website.
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