Prevent opioid smuggling

STOP Act will

One answer to your Aug. 16 editorial “Where Is The help? Opioids Have Taken A Huge Toll On Pennsylvania” is for Washington to enact commonsense legislation that will reduce the inflow of opioids from China.

For years, law enforcement agencies, public health officials and others have warned that large amounts of Chinese opioids are flooding into the country via international mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. The Fraternal Order of Police, the Homeland Security Department and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are among those making clarion calls.

A major trend in international mail is to use advanced electronic data (AED), which include key data points like the sender’s name, declared contents and destination. By requiring AED on all inbound mail, especially from China, and combining this with advanced data analytics, law enforcement can better determine which mail to search for drugs.

On June 14, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the STOP Act, a measure that requires these safeguards, by a 353-52 vote. Two days earlier, the White House explicitly endorsed the measure.

In the Senate, the STOP Act’s co-sponsors include Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; and Pennsylvania’s Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. Sen. Pat Toomey, RPa., should join in co-sponsoring.

The STOP Act is commonsense and bipartisan legislation that will save lives and the Senate should promptly pass it. PAUL F. STEIDLER Senior Fellow Lexington Institute Arlington, Va.