Workshops with a blue icon will be recorded for IACP 2022 Virtual participants post-conference.

Leadership

The Dangers of Police Contact with Fentanyl in the Field: Perceived Risks and Realities

Location: Ballroom C2, KBHCC

Hope M. Smiley-McDonald, Ph.D.

Program Director
RTI-International, Center for Policing Research & Investigative Sciences
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
Jeri D. Ropero-Miller, Ph.D., F-ABFT

Senior Director
RTI International, Center for Forensic Sciences
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
Brandon del Pozo, Ph.D., MPA, MA

Postdoctoral Fellow
Miriam Hospital/Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Keene Valley, New York, United States

Toxicologists have determined that it is nearly impossible to overdose from touching fentanyl. Research shows officers perceive acute hazards in responding to fentanyl-involved incidents. This panel will provide the information necessary for officers to understand the risk more accurately. Data from the 2021 Law Enforcement Drug Response Survey will show concerns about fentanyl exposure among police, how many agencies have purchased specialized protective equipment, and the extent of officers reporting fentanyl exposure. Next, the toxicology behind why dermal fentanyl exposure is extremely unlikely to cause overdose will be explained. The panel will show how this misinformation was propagated and why a brief training module holds promise for reducing unfounded concerns about fentanyl risk.