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BoxOfDemons t1_j0m0f62 wrote

It can be absorbed through skin. They make fentanyl patches. I'm not saying it absorbs great through the skin, or that there's any risk getting a small amount on you as a first responder, but they do in fact make fentanyl skin patches.

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sharkpilot t1_j0m552t wrote

They make nicotine patches too, but you're not satisfying your cigarette craving by rubbing a handful of loose tobacco on your arm.

The patches are a preparation specifically designed to be absorbed through the skin. Other forms do not work the same way.

First responders need to take precautions to protect themselves from myriad things, but the threat of "skin absorbed fentanyl" is incredibly low. The stories you hear are largely overblown attempts to score some copaganda points and perpetuate an ineffectual "War on Drugs." It's not about keeping officers safe, it's about maintaining funding.

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BoxOfDemons t1_j0m8hgw wrote

>The patches are a preparation specifically designed to be absorbed through the skin. Other forms do not work the same way.

It's just normal fentanyl and I believe some patches heat up slightly because that helps absorbtion. The thing is, the patches stay on for DAYS because of how slow the absorbtion of fentanyl is through the skin. But they've been known to kill children.

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