https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8810663/
A deputy in San Diego allegedly overdosed and after help from his colleages was taken to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital, toxicologists labeled it impossible to have overdosed that quickly with such little amounts of fentanyl in the air. As stated in the article, “The deputy’s symptoms were inconsistent with an opioid overdose, and the video’s narration contained inaccuracies about overdose identification and response”. Even the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), released an ‘informational’ video about the absorption of fentanyl through the skin. As a result, the American College of Medical Toxicology and American Academy of Clinical Toxicology released a statement, contradicting the false information put out by the DEA. The article also states that one may become panicked after coming in contact with fentanyl, which is why it may seem as if the fentanyl is giving them the reaction when in reality it is in their mind, “Yet the false belief that one has received a substantial dose, can produce very real, distressing symptoms—panic, hyperventilation, vertigo, a racing heart—that are misrecognized as evidence of fentanyl’s known effects (Persaud & Jennings, 2020)”. This is important because it shows how misinformation can cause great stress and problems that are unnecessary. This shows the important of thorough self-research when dealing with serious situations.
