Fentanyl. It is a major factor in the opioid epidemic and considered to be one of the deadliest illicit drugs on the market. From the singer Prince to teens in small towns, fentanyl has been linked to many drug overdoses and deaths. For first responders like police officers and paramedics, accidental exposure to the drug can prove to be quite harmful. As a member of law enforcement who may routinely conduct drug raids, drug arrests, respond to potential opioid overdoses and other situations where drugs such as fentanyl may be present, it is crucial that you take the necessary precautions to protect your body from the effects of fentanyl exposure. You should understand the potential risks as well as the personal protective equipment available to help prevent accidental fentanyl exposure.
What Exactly is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl was originally developed as a rapid-acting synthetic opioid to be used as a prescription medication for severe pain. When prescribed for pain relief, fentanyl, and its analogues, generally come in the form of a transdermal patch worn by patients. This patch allows the drug to provide immediate relief through skin contact, but it is also slowly released and absorbed through the body over the course of several days since the drug is so powerful. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fentanyl is about 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin or morphine. However, it is the recreational use of this potent drug that is rapidly creating a hazard from small towns to large cities. There is a growing illegal market in which individuals buy large amounts of the drug in a powder form and compress it into tablets to be sold illicitly. Law enforcement around the country are reporting coming into contact with fentanyl in powder, tablet or liquid form.
What Effects Occur Due to Exposure to Fentanyl?
Inhalation of the powder form is a likely exposure route for modified-illicit fentanyl. A small amount of fentanyl that has been aerosolized can affect a person quickly. Potential exposure routes of greatest concern typically include inhalation, interaction with the eyes or nose (mucous membrane contact), ingestion or from a needlestick.
Exposure can cause an onset of adverse health effects such as:
* Disorientation
* Coughing
* Sedation
More importantly, according the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), respiratory distress or cardiac arrest can occur within minutes of exposure from as small a dose as 2 milligrams.
PPE for Protection from Fentanyl Exposure
The following PPE recommendations, provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), apply to routine activities after an arrest or search warrant execution, such as evidence collection activities. This guidance applies to powder, pill, and liquid forms of fentanyl or its analogs that may be present during the evidence collection phase of law enforcement operations. NIOSH recommends that law enforcement personnel assess the specific risks of each situation and exposure level with regards to fentanyl in order to determine the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect against respiratory and/or dermal hazards, including accidental inhalation or skin exposure. The following serves as a general discussion of potential PPE options. To learn more about what specific PPE products and models can be used to help protect law enforcement from fentanyl depending on the exposure level conditions, please download our whitepaper.
Eye Protection
