Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s still kind of shocking to see this. We are in trouble as a country.
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Even more remarkable that 2 were exposed only through giving CPR to the others and then got sick too
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We had a case here a few weeks ago where 5 people died in an apartment after doing coke to celebrate a birthday. It was a Sunday afternoon, and they were dead before the police could get there. Another woman and a baby in the apartment were hospitalized (maybe from touching a surface or just dust in the air?). It was believed they weren’t regular drug users, just a special occasion.
That is clearly untrue, and the myth that this could happen has been debunked long ago. I assume a retraction/correction will be quietly released soon…
From a respected Drug Abuse/ Addiction website:
" The danger extends to first responders, as well – especially when handling evidence intercepted from the scene of a crime.
The scary thing is, fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled if it becomes airborne, putting responders – and even police dogs – in danger.
“With fentanyl, if the officer is simply patting somebody down, or if he’s getting a little bit out to try to do a field test and it accidentally comes in contact with his skin or the wind blows it in his face, he could have a serious problem,” said Tommy Farmer, special agent in charge of the Tennessee Bureau Investigation.
For those who come into contact with fentanyl, the onset of adverse health effects is rapid and profound. Symptoms, such as disorientation, coughing, sedation, and cardiac arrest, can occur within seconds after exposure.”
Also the CDC: Fentanyl: Emergency Responders at Risk | NIOSH | CDC
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West Point has confirmed.
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“The Wilton Manors spokeswoman said a woman was also hospitalized after feeling sick.”
“Joseph D’Orazio, an associate professor of clinical emergency medicine at Temple University and an expert on fentanyl use, told “NBC Nightly News” that despite the drug’s potency, casual contact doesn’t typically result in an overdose.”
While it might be rare to have a ‘transfer’ from providing care, it is possible. In the photo in the article, the police/EMT are in a gas masks to avoid exposure.
Either way, a tragedy.
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Of course a terrible tragedy. These tainted drugs are so dangerous! And they are protecting the kids. But this is a classic “got pregnant from a hot tub” thing. Umm… probably not.
No, it’s really not. The ED in my town was closed briefly when they had a “dirty” Fentanyl overdose dumped on the doorstep. Medical personnel treating him were at risk of contamination.
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I’m curious, for the 4 that knowingly took it, I assume they will be kicked out of West Point. And the military? Will they be tried under military law and potentially face jail time? And the 2 that did not intentionally take it, if they can prove they weren’t in the apt at the time and didn’t know their friends would be engaged in this kind of illegal activity, will they face any repercussions from the military? I’m assuming that if either of those 2 did know beforehand, that they would be kicked out of West Point, right? And the military? Would this have been a military crime for either of these 2 if they knew?
This infraction will be reviewed by an honor board and guilt will be determined and punished through the UCMJ. No sense speculating on any of this. Let’s wait for West Point to formally announce the verdict after due process which could take months. Nothing to see here in the meantime. Certainly a sad time for the cadets and families involved.
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Extremely scary. I pray the kids will be ok.
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I don’t understand why drug dealers would want to cut cocaine with fentanyl. First, it’s not what the customers are looking for, and second it kills your customers. So why do it? Why not dilute the cocaine with something harmless and cheap instead?
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Maybe to get them hooked faster? Fentanyl laced coke wouldn’t necessarily lead to death if only a small amount was added. I imagine in this case the dealer got the mix wrong.
It’s incredibly cheap. There is a book called 'Fentanyl Inc.’ which goes into the complicated reasons why fentanyl has become a problem in the US.
“Basically, it’s so cheap to produce and it’s so powerful, that drug dealers began realizing it was a way to increase their profits,”
But batches are unpredictable; there is no standard potency.
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