Senators introduce bipartisan bill to protect Border Patrol agents from dangerous drug exposure

A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill Thursday to protect U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from being exposed to dangerous drugs such as synthetic opioids.

The Prevent Exposure to Narcotics and Toxins Act will "provide drug containment devices to frontline border patrol agents," Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley announced.

The containment devices would be given to agents in addition to the already-provided naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose.

"Border patrol officers are on the frontlines of our efforts to combat illegal and dangerous drugs at our southern border," said Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, who introduced the bill.

"Following our success in securing new screening devices for federal law enforcement agents, we need to do more to protect border patrol agents from these dangerous drugs during transit," Brown said.

There have been several cases of law enforcement officers being exposed to potentially deadly drugs while on the job and even overdosing as a result.

Other cosponsors on the bill include Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss.