Notebook: How Strong is Fentanyl? Aerosolized Residue Can Kill

Badge cams show LEO revived from death’s door after brush with fent… Area toddler killed by fentanyl exposure… Plus: Experts on emerging fent dangers and what to do if you spot an overdose.

(Video: Tavares Police Department)

When J425 recently contacted a substance abuse expert at Providence Behavioral Health in Everett for information on the relative dangers of fentanyl, the counselor mentioned both the November death of a Snohomish County two-year-old who overdosed after touching his mother’s fentanyl and the viral badge cam video showing the near-death experience of a police officer who came in contact with a just few wind blown particles of fent — see badge cam video above, and stick with us for more in a bit.

This is a long way of saying the strength and danger tied to fent, which is better known as “blues” or “thirties” around the PNW (so called as a result of the blue percocet pill design that fent powder is typically pressed to imitate) — is both degrees of magnitude stronger than heroin or oxycontin — and causing situations that no one in the rehabilitation community has seen before.

In fact, a program director who oversees detox and outpatient rehabilitation at a local Providence behavioral health department says that fentanyl has now joined alcohol as the only substance strong enough to kill through withdrawal.

Before we get into the notebook, let’s just do a quick recap on first principles of the ongoing fentanyl situation we’re covering in our FENT WARS series (be sure to check for today’s story covering recent cartel-related fent busts in the 425.

Fentanyl FAQ

“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. Fentanyl is everywhere.  From large metropolitan areas to rural America, no community is safe from this poison.”  - Anne Milgram DEA Fentanyl Interdiction Administrator

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times more potent than morphine and comes in many forms including powders, tablets, capsules, solutions and patches.

How is fentanyl different from other opioids? 

Fentanyl is different than other opioids because it is significantly more powerful and can lead to an overdose in a shorter amount of time because it goes through the body’s systems more quickly. The effects of fentanyl last a shorter duration of time.  

In greater Snohomish County, fentanyl has most commonly been found in pills that look identical to prescription opioids like M30 OxyContin tablets (left picture). In other states, fentanyl is most commonly found within heroin samples (middle picture). Fentanyl can also be found mixed with other non-opioid drugs, such as meth (right picture). Photo courtesy Snohomish County.

Where does fentanyl come from?

According to the DEA and DOJ, local fentanyl originates out of China, from which it is typically shipped to criminal networks in Mexico that mass produce fentanyl and/or fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China. These fake prescription pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions—such as Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, Adderall, Xanax and other medicines—and have been found in every state in the country.

What is “the cartel”, how does it relate to fentanyl and is the cartel here?

The cartel is a broad term that refers to a handful of criminal organizations in Mexico that grew to power through the control of geographic areas (“plazas”) adjacent to the US border.

The cartels leveraged the control of plazas to gain control of the movement of people, goods and services in the border zone. In short, the cartel is a criminal logistics network that moves things from other countries into the US.

Currently, cartels are engaged mainly in human smuggling and fentanyl trafficking.

And yes, cartel operators are present in Snohomish County.

According to DOJ court filings, Federal prosecutors charged 35 cases between May and September this year that involve Washington State and — their words here:

“one or both of the primary Mexican cartels responsible for the majority of fentanyl in the United States – the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).”

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Fentanyl: Orders of Magnitude Stronger than Heroin, Causing New Issues in Recovery

Back to the doc’s revelation: super concentrated fentanyl (some estimates put it at 50x stronger than heroin) is forcing detox units to confront the fact that today’s fent is so strong that ceasing use can kill addicts — this is an entirely new phenomenon for the opiate class.

It’s been well known for decades that alcoholics are at risk of death during the delirium stage after they stop ingesting alcohol. Now, local detox have changed protocols to protect fentanyl addicts going through inpatient detox — and the staff that assists them.

These days staff say detox is like nothing seen before. J425 was told that the sheer strength of the drug leaves patients both zombified and manic. Further, the withdrawal-induced delirium causes psychotic breaks and — and this is the new part — the possibility of deadly seizures.

Attacks on nurses are up, and increased security and professional help is required to facilitate fent detox.

Meanwhile recovery professionals are working day and night to implement new protocols to head off the issues arising from fentanyl abuse and treatment.

If you or someone you know needs information about fentanyl or help with addiction, Snohomish County offers an info clearinghouse and numerous free resources.

So that’s how it can kill you when you stop taking it….The badge cam video we included above shows how a mere gust of fent particles can kill.

Florida LEO revived from near death after wind-blown brush with fentanyl

A Florida cop nearly died this week after ingesting particles of aerosolized fentanyl, residue of which was blown in her direction from a nearby car and sent her into immediate overdose.

Fellow officers saved Officer Bannick with three shots of Narcan, the first of which was administered within a minute of her OD Monday.

Now, Officer Courtney Bannick has authorized the release of video of the incident, as a way of providing an object lesson to the public re: the deadly strength of fentanyl.

Despite protecting herself with gloves and PPE, Tavares Police Officer Courtney Bannick nearly died after the residue was blown in her face from the backseat of a she’d stopped.

Fellow officers heard strange sounds from her radio and were close enough to teach her within a minute — only find Bannick already not breathing.

Taveres PD later said Bannick followed proper protocols in protecting herself but "high winds and a potent narcotic," she became exposed and overdosed.

A PD spox said an officer went to check on her after hearing choking sounds and found her out of consciousness.

They gave her three doses of Narcan to revive her. Bannick is now recovering at home. Next: How to Respond to an Overdose

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How to Identify and Respond to an Overdose 

In light of the story above, J425 made a late edit in order to provide a resource explaining what to do if you encounter an overdose. In short, administer Narcan, and don’t hesitate or worry about getting sued because Narcan is harmless and the State has a Good Samaritan law covering those trying ti assist someone in overdose.

If someone takes more opioids than their body can handle, they can pass out, stop breathing, and possibly die. Follow the steps below to possibly save their life.

1. Look for signs of an opioid overdose

• Slow or no breathing

• Gurgling, gasping, snoring

• Clammy skin

• Blue nails or lips

2. Try to wake them up

• Rub your knuckles hard over their chest bone. If they don’t wake up, they need medical help right away.

3. Call 911

• Notify 911 of the situation

• Remember: You cannot be held liable for volunteering to provide medical support to someone in need of care. This is the Good Samaritan Law

4. Administer Naloxone

• If you have a Naloxone/Narcan kit from a local pharmacy, use it as directed to stop the adverse effects of an opioid overdose.

Snohomish County Dashboard Shows Fentanyl Deaths Doubling Year over Year

The Snohomish Health District recently updated their online dashboard on opioid overdoses. 

 “With the increasing severity of the opioid crisis, it’s incredibly important to have this kind of data at our fingertips to help guide decision-making,” Sara Lidstrom, the epidemiologist who led the dashboard project, said.

The data for Snohomish shows opioid deaths increasing exponentially.

The reported number of deaths almost doubled to 198 in 2021.

Providence Regional Medical Center Everett reported treating 844 opioid overdoses from 2020-21 in the emergency department.

This is up from 535 in 2017-18.