Brown Joins Law Enforcement, Medical Professionals To Call For Bipartisan Bill To Keep Fentanyl Out Of Ohio To Be Signed Into Law

TOLEDO, OH —Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp and Toledo-area medical professionals to urge President Trump to sign Brown’s bipartisan legislation to keep the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl out of Ohio communities into law. Brown’s bill passed the House in October and unanimously passed the Senate in December.

Passage of the bill comes just as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data showing Ohio had the second highest death rate by drug overdose in the U.S in 2016. Brown’s INTERDICT Act will provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with additional hi-tech screening equipment and lab resources to detect fentanyl before it enters the U.S.

“Our law enforcement officers and our doctors and nurses and other medical professionals see the devastation this drug causes in our communities,” said Brown. “They know the risks they face on the job, dealing with this deadly substance. That’s why we need the president to sign this bill today, to get more resources to the people who can help stem the flow of this deadly drug into Ohio communities.”

Several state and national law enforcement organizations, including the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, have endorsed Brown’s bill. Brown’s bill is also supported by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Brown is supporting Portman’s STOP Act, which is also endorsed by law enforcement. The two bills work together to help block the deadly synthetic opioid from reaching Ohio communities.

“64,000 people plus have died in our country of overdoses, and 250 in our community of Lucas County. We must get aggressive and look at every tool that we can obtain to save lives and to keep families together,” said Sheriff Tharp.

During a Senate Finance Committee Hearing in October, Brown secured a commitment from CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to work with Brown to make sure customs agents have the equipment to identify fentanyl and keep the deadly drug out of Ohio.  

Brown’s bill would authorize $15 million for new screening devices, laboratory equipment, facilities, and personnel for 24x7 lab support. The money will be used to:

• Provide more portable chemical screening devices at ports of entry and mail and express consignment facilities and additional fixed chemical screening devices available in CBP laboratories.
• Provide CBP with sufficient resources, personnel, and facilities — including scientists available during all operational hours — to interpret screening test results from the field. 

Providing CBP with more screening devices and lab support will not only stop more Fentanyl from coming into the U.S., it will also protect more agents in the field from exposure to dangerous substances.

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