Sorry for the long post, but would love to hear others thoughts on this as well...
This whole situation is interesting and I wish they could tell us more about the incident. Fentanyl is definitely a powerful drug and extremely lethal, but I have a problem with how the media and law enforcement treats this entire situation regarding fentanyl.
Fentanyl is not a new drug. In fact its been around since I believe the 60s or 70s. But its definitely the latest and greatest when it comes to street drugs. But the media and law enforcement make it seem that if you simply look at the drug, you will overdose. If this was the case then drug users would be dropping dead all over the place.
Fentanyl is typically used intravenously, as a nasal spray, or as a dermal. Its administered in microgram doses. I believe its around 2mg that's considered a lethal amount. A lot of what's found on the streets is in powder form. This powder form would need to be used in the three ways I mentioned for it to enter into you body. So sniff, inject, or rubbed into the skin. If rubbed into the skin, you would need a transporter. Some type of oil based substance. Sweat, the oil on your skin, or water alone would not absorb it into the skin. Well, at least not at a fast rate. Officers typically carry alcohol based hand sanitizer. If you ever touch fentanyl and have it on your skin, NEVER use hand sanitizer thinking it will help. This would actually spread the fentanyl onto our skin and the sanitizer substance would actually allow the drug to absorb into your skin. Just wash your hands liberally with water.
I've seen a lot of stories of officers coming into contact with fentanyl, then within seconds to maybe a minute or two they start having issues. Fentanyl doesn't act that fast, unless injected into your veins or snorted. Opening a baggy in an open area would not cause you to overdose. Maybe if a big gust of wind came and blew it everywhere in the air, but even then in a large open area this would not cause an overdose.
The obvious signs of an overdose is usually labored breathing, unconscious, and slowing heart rate.
Now, a lot of the reports I've seen of officers coming into contact with fentanyl, they claim the officer starts to have breathing issues, dizziness, fainting, and RAPID heart rate. Fentanyl would not cause a rapid heart rate. Breathing issues, dizziness, fainting, and rapid heart rate are also your typical signs of a panic attack. Now Im not saying every report of fentanyl exposure is bullshit, but when I see them mention the officer complained of breathing and rapid heart rate, I tend to lean towards bullshit.
Just today in the next town over two officers were hospitalized for fentanyl exposure. The report said the officers placed the drugs in the trunk of the vehicle and drove the suspect to jail. A few minutes later they both complained of breathing issues and rapid heart rate. Simply having drugs in the trunk would not cause these issues. Ill admit I have no idea how they handled the drug prior to placing it into the trunk, but again rapid heart rate is not from Fentanyl. The report also said they were able to radio in what they were experiencing and their location so paramedics could respond to them. If it were any true possible overdose/exposure, they would never have been able to get on the radio and would have been found dead on the side of the road.
So why are we hearing stories of officers coming into contact with fentanyl and being transported to the hospital for possible overdose/exposure? It could be that they really are having an overdose, or they're experience what is called the Nocebo effect. Many of us have probably experienced this effect. Maybe a doctor prescribed a drug to you and explained to you about all the horrible side effects you may experience. You get a little bit worried about this drug prescribed to you but you take it anyways cuz the doctor says you need it. You take the drug and low and behold, you experience every single side effect you were worried about when in actuality, you really weren't. Your body and mind made you believe this was happening.
Officers hear all the time about how dangerous this drug is and how easily it is to be exposed to it. They find a baggy of a white powdery substance and pull out the test kit. Substance tests positive for fentanyl. Their mind started to freak out cuz they just touched it so now its on there fingers or hopefully gloved hand, they opened the baggy to test it, which means it was exposed to the air so it must be airborne. Officer starts to feel a little funny. Maybe start sweating and feeling lightheaded. This means they start to panic even further, which causes a rapid heart rate and before you know it they drop to the ground and pass out. They overdosed, or at least they think they did. EMS and doctors at the hospital will treat it as such because they are working on limited time if it really is an overdose.
The only way to know for certain that you were exposed to a lethal dose would be with testing your blood. Not sure if the hospital is doing this every time an officer comes into the hospital under the impression they are overdosing on fentanyl. Hopefully they do.
Glad to see the officer is ok and if this was a real overdose, hopefully he learns from this incident on how to properly handle drugs or any substance you come across and you don't know what it is. I think his training officer should have worked a little bit slower with him regarding drugs and how to handle them. But I don't know what phase this trainee was in so maybe his training officer had a little more confidence in the trainee.
