STOP Act is cracking down on foreign shipments of synthetic drugs

MEDFORD, Oregon. – President Trump on Wednesday signed a new bill to crack down on illicit drug trafficking in the country.

The Drug Abuse and Overdose Protection Act, or STOP Act, is part of a package of 70 bills that received bipartisan support in Washington, including that of the Oregon Congress delegation.

Representative Greg Walden (right) and Senator Ron Wyden (right) welcomed the adoption of this law and its impact on the fight against the opioid epidemic. Representative Walden even drafted a bill, the SUPPORT Act for Patients and Communities, that would give patients with opioid use disorders greater access to treatment.

"It's about how we get over-prescribed painkillers from the market," he said. "These are alternative pain management strategies, and most importantly to tell people that you have hope if you are addicted, because help is about to arrive."

However, the STOP Act goes in a different direction, which could have far-reaching consequences for the future of drug shipments from foreign countries to the United States. The legislation is designed to prevent dangerous illicit drugs such as fentanyl and carfentanil being shipped through the country and are then spread by drug traffickers in the states.

While Jackson County has seen an increase in opioid overdoses this year, some being directly related to fentanyl, law enforcement officials say this law will not have any impact. directly on the Rogue Valley, but is certainly a step in the right direction to prevent synthetic drugs. to reach the streets.

"This is a decisive step in the right direction," said Lieutenant Mike Budreau of the Medford Police Department. "At any time, we can limit the influx of illicit drugs into the country, that's a good thing."

The bill targets mail processing systems that have been the main source of opioid shipping. As Dr. Jim Shames of the Jackson County Health Department pointed out, drugs like fentanyl are so powerful that you only have to ship a little bit at a time.

"It takes so little that you can put it in an envelope and send it from China," he said.

According to a report from the Office of the Inspector General of the United States, 90% of sellers of illicit drugs on the dark web use the US Postal Service. From purchase to delivery, these synthetic opioids have mostly passed checks due to weaknesses in the security of international mail.

However, this new bill will allow increased use of pre-electronic data or AEDs for parcel filtering from other countries. The DEA contains information such as the name and address of the recipient, the name and address of the sender and the contents of the package. In a report of the Office of the Inspector General, some countries use the DEA and some do not, and the postal service is "held by international standards to accept mail from all countries".

Now, the postal service will be able to submit more packages to US Customs and Border Protection for screening purposes in an international service center before entering US borders.

"We do not see many prescriptions – illicit prescription drugs received by mail are not yet available here," said Lieutenant Budreau. "It's something that other parts of the country have seen."

Medford's police say that what they see mainly is drugs like heroin or methamphetamine that are shipped by vehicle. Fentanyl also happens, but it has usually been mixed with other drugs before crossing the border.

"The problem of fentanyl or fear is really associated with heroin," said Lieutenant Budreau. "So, when we see fenantyl, we see it associated with heroin, often without the knowledge of the person taking it or treating it."

In the end, the health services and law enforcement authorities say that it is a big step forward, but that others will not be necessary.

"We need to get the countries where it is manufactured to take responsibility and report back," said Dr. Shames. "Control the illicit manufacture of drugs abroad."

There have been 19 overdoses confirmed this year in Jackson County – the largest number ever recorded. According to the Medford police, three deaths were confirmed by overdoses caused by fentanyl. Laboratory results are pending in several other cases.

NBC5 reporter Miles Furuichi is a graduate of Chapman University in English and Journalism. He graduated from Los Angeles in photojournalism and commercial photography. He also spent time in Dublin, Ireland, where he worked in print journalism and advertising.

Miles is from Rogue Valley and grew up in Ashland. He enjoys hiking, mountain biking and photography.

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