In early August, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department released body camera footage purporting to show an officer overdosing from simply touching fentanyl. The department suggested the incident was a cautionary tale about just how potent fentanyl can be; however, it is not possible to overdose on fentanyl through skin contact or from close proximity alone.
 
“Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues do not readily cross the skin barrier and do not aerosolize well. The only way to overdose on these substances is from injecting, snorting, or otherwise ingesting them,” said Dr. Ryan Marino, MD Medical Toxicologist, Addiction Medicine Specialist and Emergency Physician Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, “or in the case of the fentanyl patch, from mixing with an absorbable solvent and applying very large quantities for very long durations of time.”
 
Misinformation around fentanyl fuels the stigma faced by people with substance use disorders, hinders appropriate responses, and has been used to increase the criminalization of vulnerable groups.
 
“It is unconscionable and completely irresponsible for law enforcement organizations to continue fabricating false narratives around fentanyl. Content like this simply creates more fear and irrational panic that fuels further punitive responses to the overdose crisis, instead of the public health approach we need. We already know how this story goes, because we experienced it in the 80’s and 90’s with crack-cocaine. Law enforcement-driven, media-perpetuated hysteria inevitably leads to extreme racially-biased enforcement and mandatory minimum sentencing,” said Kassandra Frederique, DPA’s executive director.
 
“We call on media to think twice about amplifying these harmful narratives that have devastated Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities over the last 50 years and led to more dire public health and societal consequences as a result. We would encourage media to engage more public health experts who can actually speak to the science and solutions, rather than law enforcement, when covering public health crises such as these. And we urge Congress to swiftly pass the S.T.O.P. Fentanyl Act, so we can begin saving lives.”
 
Fentanyl (or other opioid) overdoses can be reversed with naloxone, an FDA-approved medication that works to reverse an opioid overdose by restoring breath to unconscious overdose victims. Naloxone is not psychoactive, has no potential for misuse, and side effects are rare.