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You’ve heard about fentanyl before, but recently an article popped up on your social media feed talking about the risks of fentanyl exposure. You have friends who use different drugs to have a good time. They have never pressured you to join them, and they all seem fine, so it has never really been something that bothers you.
Now, however, you were worried about potential fentanyl exposure. Could it impact your health just being around them? If one of them overdosed on fentanyl, would you be at risk too if you tried to help? How worried should you be about ingesting fentanyl second-hand?
Here at Serenity Lane, our goal is to provide our community with access to accurate and unbiased information about substance use so they can make informed decisions about their health. As the oldest non-profit in the state, we get many questions about substance use. One of the questions we sometimes get is, “Am I at risk for fentanyl exposure?” Here in Oregon, over 1.3 million counterfeit pills, like fentanyl, were seized in 2021 alone. We know how relevant this concern can be to our community, so let’s talk about it.
Being exposed to fentanyl unknowingly when not ingesting other substances is very uncommon. It could happen at parties or bars, or when you’re around people who are actively participating in substance use. Even if you’re not ingesting fentanyl on purpose, it can often be found laced in other substances without your knowledge.
You might also encounter fentanyl if a loved one is actively using it and you find it. Law enforcement and first responders are more likely to come across fentanyl than the average person.
If you’re in a public place and think you might be near someone who is using fentanyl, you don’t have to worry about it impacting you. The contamination that might be on surfaces or in the air is not dense enough to impact those around the fentanyl.
If you’re in your home, however, and you think you’ve encountered fentanyl powder or pills, it’s important to not touch it. Don’t open any windows, either, as this could make the powder become airborne. If you get any on your clothes, you can use a non-alcoholic wet wipe to safely remove it before laundering.
Secondhand smoke has been shown to negatively affect those who’re regularly around people who smoke nicotine, so would the same thing happen with those who smoke fentanyl?
Smoke overall has a negative impact on our health, no matter where the source is. Keeping windows and doors open in areas where you might be impacted by smoke can help reduce the negative effect. If you’re in a public space, especially a more wide-open one, you don’t need to worry about secondhand smoke.
If you’re able to avoid touching fentanyl, it is best to do so. You might accidentally encounter it at home one day if your loved one has some around the house. If you do encounter it in the home, and you have kids around, take extra precautions to ensure they don’t touch it, too.
If you’re out in public and you think you accidentally touch some, don’t panic. Soap and water work very well for getting rid of fentanyl.
The other way someone might unintentionally be exposed to fentanyl is through other substances. The only way to safely and effectively check for fentanyl in other substances is by utilizing fentanyl testing strips. Many times, fentanyl is fully undetectable to the naked eye. When fentanyl is taken unknowingly, especially in combination with other substances, the chance of overdosing increases greatly.
Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid. It's 50 times more potent than morphine. It doesn’t take much fentanyl to cause an overdose.
If you’re not on other substances at the time of encountering fentanyl, the odds of you experiencing any negative side effects, especially overdose, are very low. These odds can increase if you have other substances or alcohol within your body, as you can’t know for certain how the fentanyl will interact with those other substances.
Overall, any level of substance use isn’t safe, and you can’t know for sure where the fentanyl came from or what else might be in it.
If you’ve found something you think is fentanyl, or you’ve encountered drug paraphernalia like bongs or other things, it’s best to not touch them.
If you’re in an area you think might have fentanyl powder, avoid utilizing alcohol-based hand sanitizers or using bleach. These liquids, as well as excessive amounts of sweat, can increase skin absorption when in contact with fentanyl. If you think you’ve touched fentanyl, go wash your hands with soap and water. Do your best to avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth. If any children are around, wash their hands too, and keep an eye on them. Children are more sensitive to the adverse effects of fentanyl.
There have been no confirmed cases of overdoses from touching fentanyl powder or pills. Even though fentanyl can be absorbed into the skin, generally speaking, it would have to be in contact with the skin for hours to have any effect.
It’s important to not throw fentanyl in the trash if found, as it could still be found by others in the home, especially kids or pets. Fentanyl patches, in particular, are on the FDA-approved flush list, meaning they can be disposed of by flushing them down the toilet.
If you think someone might be experiencing a fentanyl overdose, you can safely help them without needing to worry about experiencing adverse effects yourself. If life-saving medications like naloxone are on hand, you can utilize them to help stop the overdose. If you’re curious about how to properly use naloxone, you can read this guide.
Whether you have naloxone present or not, it’s also important to call for medical help. Due to the Good Samaritan Law, you cannot be legally prosecuted for seeking help for a drug-related overdose.
If you’re concerned about fentanyl use in yourself or a loved one, our team here at Serenity Lane is here to help. We offer everything from opioid detox services to inpatient and outpatient services to guide you along your recovery journey. Our team of trained physicians is equipped to help you find the right fentanyl treatment options that work for your healing goals. Even after you leave, you can stay connected to support and care through our robust alumni network.
There’s no wrong time to get started with recovery. At Serenity Lane, we’re transforming lives through the treatment of addiction. Whenever you’re ready, just give our Serenity Lane team a call at (800) 543-9905. We’ll be ready whenever you are.
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