A published article in Sunday’s The
Herald reveals that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug, has been detected in
Snohomish County. While not detected frequently, the presence of the drug is
worrisome for both police and health officials.
Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more
potent than morphine or other opioid drugs according to the National Institute
on Drug Abuse. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently issued an alert to
law enforcement agencies nationwide about dangers of the drug. A very small
amount inhaled or absorbed in the skin can be deadly. In a video distributed by
the DEA, two New Jersey policemen described their near death experience in
handling the drug at a crime scene.
Fentanyl is often prescribed to
reduce pain with an injection, through a transdermal patch or orally in a
lozenge. Illegal fentanyl is distributed in powder, liquid or a dried liquid on
paper form. And the DEA says that fentanyl has been included in counterfeit
pills in the U.S.
A representative of the Snohomish
Regional Drug and Gang Task Force was quoted by The Herald as recommending that
anyone who finds a baggie of powder to treat it like they would a hypodermic
needle. Sheriff’s deputies are being told to wear gloves, glasses and a face
mask when they encounter an unknown powder. The DEA is recommending that police
not field test powders suspected of being fentanyl, but to transport the sample
directly to a test laboratory.
While fentanyl may not be as
pervasive as other opioids or heroin in Snohomish County, its introduction adds
to the danger those drugs pose to addicts as well as to the public at large.
The Herald:
National Institute on Drug Abuse:
The Guardian:
Drug Enforcement Administration:
No comments:
Post a Comment