Why were cops fainting from fentanyl?

Some urban legends are just for fun, like the “Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus,” (zapatopi.net/treeoctopus) while others are not. Today we’re investigating the claim that while busting drug dealers, police can accidentally “absorb” fentanyl through their skin, causing them to suffer a whole bevy of health problems — starting with fainting. Years later, it’s still impacting legislation across the country and mostly wasting a bunch of money. Mangesh Hattikudur and Mary Phillips-Sandy from Part-Time Genius join us to explain how fentanyl actually works, and debunk this one.
Check out Part-Time Genius (iheart.com/podcast/105-part-time-genius-28198159) wherever you get your podcasts, and follow them on Instagram @parttimegenius (instagram.com/parttimegenius).
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Credits
- Host: Ryan Broderick
- Producer: Grant Irving
- Researcher: Adam Bumas
- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

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