Fentanyl: Separating Facts From Fiction
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Speaking of which...
I'm really tired of politicians and talking heads pronouncing it "fentanol."
FFS - ask someone.
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What bullshit.
The perp got fentanyl powder on his hands and...nothing happened.
The cop was exposed to "a small amount of fentanyl" and was taken to the hospital after "passing out" and was released.
"Police officer hospitalized!!"
Yeah, I suppose you can say a visit to an ER and a discharge qualifies as "hospitalized."
THAT'S NOT HOW FENTANYL WORKS, you assholes.
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Tania the Herbalist gives us her (?) opinion on fentanyl.
The thread is a hoot.
Best comment:
"Hey Tania, did you know that there is also bupivacaine, a synthetic local anesthetic used in epidurals (as opposed to cocaine which is a naturally occurring alkaloid LA). Also, fentanyl is the most commonly used narcotic in the operating room used in almost every single case."
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The Pernicious Myth of Fentanyl-Laced Cannabis
Ohio coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco was quoted at a press conference saying that âwe have seen fentanyl mixed with cocaine, we have also seen fentanyl mixed with marijuana.â In a follow-up piece in Vice, Sammarco clarified that she had, in fact, not seen evidence of fentanyl-contaminated cannabis, but was instead repeating something that her co-presenter, US Senator Rob Portman, had told her before that presserâand she didnât know where he sourced his information. Further reporting found no good evidence of fentanyl-laced bud, and instead only speculation, the suspicions of anxious parents and social media hearsay.
Even in cases where someone dies of fentanyl poisoning and postmortem drug tests are positive for THC, chances are high that these drugs were used separately. THC famously lingers in the bodyâs fat for days or weeks, resulting in positive THC tests well after the last use of the substance.
What about oral fentanyl?
Fentanyl in particular is low-risk if eaten because it doesnât work well when given orally. While there are formulations of fentanyl that are absorbed through the inside of the cheek or under the tongue, when swallowed itâs heavily broken down by our liver before the drug has a chance to get to the brain. As such, fentanyl isnât manufactured as a pill or liquid to swallow.
What about fentanyl vapes?
Fentanylâs boiling point is 466â, or about 871â. For comparison, I consulted the sites for two popular brands of vape used for cannabis: Pax and Grenco. Pax states that the hottest temperature reached by its products is 210â. Grenco, maker of the G Pen, states that the highest setting of this device gets to 220â.
This makes sense, as the boiling points for the desirable compounds in cannabis, like THC, CBD and the many terpenes, donât exceed this temperature. An excessively hot device could potentially release harmful compounds, but would also be less pleasant for the user and run down the battery more quickly. So while fentanyl can be vaped, it needs high heat to get there, and the devices used to vape cannabis simply donât get that hot.
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Jesus, this crap continues...
An East St. Louis police officer and two EMS workers responding to a possible overdose call ended up in a hospital emergency room after they were exposed to fentanyl, according to Police Chief Kendall Perry.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon, June 18, at a home in the 800 block of Bre-Mar Drive, where a man in his 60s was reported to have overdosed on fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid.
âThere was quite a bit of it on scene,â Perry said. âOne of our officers ended up getting exposed to it and had to be transported to Memorial Hospital.â
When police arrived at the home, they found the man responsive but confused. âHe refused medical treatmentâ Perry said.
Besides the officer, Perry confirmed that two EMS workers who were exposed to the fentanyl on scene had to be taken to the hospital. The officer and workers were treated and released.
Perry said agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration now have the substance. âIt was fentanyl, possibly mixed with meth,â Perry said.
The chief did not release the names of the officer or EMS workers who were exposed to the drugs.
Officer Tia Mitchell of the East St. Louis Police Department confirmed to the BND that she had to go to the hospital after exposure to the drugs.
She said she was given Narcan twice, once by a co-worker and a second time by a paramedic on scene. Narcan is a life-saving drug that can be used to resuscitate people who have overdosed on opioids.
The East St. Louis Fire Department also was at the scene and hosed the officer down before she was taken to the hospital, Perry said.
Mitchell told the BND she was exposed to the fentanyl when a woman who had been in the residence brought it outside in a Ziplock bag.
Mitchell said she blacked out so she doesnât remember too much about the incident. But she said she is grateful to her fellow officer who had Narcan with him.
âThank God for Narcan. If he didnât have it with him, we donât know what wouldâve happen,â Mitchell said
Asked whether officers carry Narcan on them routinely, Mitchell said not that sheâs aware of.
She said she feels it should be required and provided by the police department in all squad cars âfor our safety and the safety of the citizens if they are overdosing.â
Narcan is provided to all officers, said Perry, the chief. Each officer gets at least two boxes that they can carry with them, he said.
Perry said that while officers are not required to carry Narcan, he believes that it is important that they have it. When they run out, they can come to the office for more, the chief said.
Mitchell said she had to seek additional medical evaluation after she was treated and released from the hospitalâs emergency room and is still off work.
âThis is not an easy thing to go through,â Mitchell said.
In 40 years of popping open fentanyl ampules, probably spilling some on my skin, I'm shocked that I lived long enough to retire.
Twitter doc: "First responder hosed down by fire department and given multiple doses of narcan after approached by person with fentanyl in a ziploc baggie. Person carrying the baggie apparently some kind of magical fentanyl resistant zombie."
