Anniversary take on #Fentanyl, homeland security and 1 year of the STOP Act.
Few of us have been untouched by the opiod epidemic. Fentanyl, a synthetic drug, represents the 3rd wave of this American nightmare, coming after prescription painkillers and heroin. It is killing us.1/
Few of us have been untouched by the opiod epidemic. Fentanyl, a synthetic drug, represents the 3rd wave of this American nightmare, coming after prescription painkillers and heroin. It is killing us.1/
Why are so many security experts involved with the fentanyl issue? It is personal, but it is also professional. For fentanyl, there is a supply and there is a demand. The demand side is a public health and addiction challenge. The supply side is a security challenge. 2/
Fentanyl is, in many ways, a typical supply chain issue, no different than aviation or cargo: a threat is entering the country and we must disrupt the chain, close the vulnerability. Fentanyl is mostly manufactured in China & Russia and getting here through the postal service.3/
Yes, the mail. Not the Mexican border. For amazing reporting on the postal loopholes, see these two series:
nytimes.com/2019/10/16/mag… @NYTmag
and
washingtonpost.com/investigations… @washingtonpost 4/
nytimes.com/2019/10/16/mag… @NYTmag
and
washingtonpost.com/investigations… @washingtonpost 4/
It's that simple. You can order fentanyl through the dark web or encrypted communications and it can be sent to your home. Until last year, there was no capacity to monitor the movement of these packages; no data management; no disclosure requirements by sender; nothing. 5/
That changed with passage of the STOP Act, a bipartisan effort, supported by the WH's Opiod Task Force, public health, addiction and security experts, which required foreign countries to put more requirements on shipments and required our government agencies to monitor. 6/
It wouldn't stop all of the supply gaps but it would put an additional barrier on the fentanyl market. And that is good. The goal of any security effort, of course, is simply to try to minimize risks. You may not get it to zero, but you can close loopholes, disrupt operations. 6/
And that was important because while we have to focus on addiction's demand, no epidemic can be stopped without a focus on supply. But, one year later, the STOP Act remains unenforced, neglected, given lip service treatment by the federal government. 7/
One year later, the postal service hasn't satisfied its legal requirements and closed the main means by which the deadliest drug is entering our country, killing our friends and families.
And that is an anniversary worth, for all the wrong reasons, remembering. 9/9
And that is an anniversary worth, for all the wrong reasons, remembering. 9/9
