Sen. Rob Portman: Closing the loophole that lets drug traffickers exploit the Postal Service

In 2016, more Americans died from drug overdoses than were killed during the entire Vietnam War. A big part of this problem is opioids, which were involved in about two-thirds of all overdose deaths. These drugs take lives regardless of age, area code, class, or color.

This national epidemic has unfolded in three waves. First, prescription drug use exploded about 15 to 20 years ago; second, heroin deaths spiked as people moved to the less expensive, more accessible alternative. And then today, synthetic forms of heroin are overtaking the market — and the results have been deadly.