False claims resurface about overdosing on fentanyl through skin contact
Media monitoring also found continued discussions about the HALT Fentanyl Act and posts falsely suggesting that fentanyl is not dangerous.
Media monitoring also found continued discussions about the HALT Fentanyl Act and posts falsely suggesting that fentanyl is not dangerous.
This past week, President Donald Trump was hit in the face with a reporter’s boom microphone during a press conference. In response, some social media users suggested without evidence that the incident was an attempt to expose Trump to fentanyl and cause an overdose through skin contact, which is not how fentanyl overdoses occur. Meanwhile, after the U.S. Senate passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, posts highlighted the risk of fentanyl overdose. However, posts discussing another fentanyl-related bill falsely suggested that the drug is not dangerous.
Given these discussions, communicators may explain how fentanyl overdoses happen, reiterate the dangers of fentanyl, and share overdose prevention tools.
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What’s trending nationally in conversations about opioids
On March 14, President Trump was hit in the face with a reporter’s boom microphone during a Maryland press conference. In a video, the reporter can be heard apologizing off camera, suggesting that the incident was unintentional. In response, two popular X posts suggested without evidence that touching Trump’s face with the microphone was an attempt to harm the president by exposing him to substances like fentanyl. Comments on the posts perpetuated the false claim that people can overdose on fentanyl by touching it or accidentally inhaling a small amount.
The Senate passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act on March 14, aiming to permanently classify street versions of fentanyl as Schedule I substances and enact harsher penalties for people who transport or sell them. The legislation will now be sent to the House of Representatives. Some X posts, which received thousands to hundreds of thousands of views, celebrated the bill’s progress and criticized senators who voted against it. Many commenters expressed concern about the dangers of fentanyl, and some questioned whether the HALT Fentanyl Act would actually prevent overdose deaths.
On March 11, two senators reintroduced Tyler’s Law, a bill that would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to provide hospitals with guidelines for fentanyl testing during routine emergency department drug screenings. Currently, drug screenings in emergency departments typically test for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, and natural and semisynthetic opioids but not synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The bill is named after a young man who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2018. Some commenters on a Facebook post sharing an article about the bill falsely suggested that fentanyl is not dangerous and alleged that people in emergency departments should be tested for other drugs and sexually transmitted infections instead.
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Recommendations for public health professionals
Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about opioids.
False claims that fentanyl overdoses can occur through skin contact or by accidentally inhaling a small amount repeatedly reemerge. Messaging may emphasize that while fentanyl is a potent opioid that is involved in most U.S. overdose deaths, you cannot overdose on fentanyl by touching it or by accidentally breathing in a small amount. People who use drugs are at risk of fentanyl overdose because fentanyl, like other opioids, can slow or stop breathing. Fentanyl is also often unknowingly mixed with a variety of other drugs, which increases the risk of overdose.
Communicators may want to outline the signs of an opioid overdose and highlight overdose prevention tools, such as fentanyl test strips and naloxone. Fentanyl test strips help people determine whether their drugs contain fentanyl so they can make educated decisions about drug use. Naloxone (often sold under the brand name Narcan) can reverse an opioid overdose. Communicators may explain where people can access naloxone—such as local pharmacies, grocery stores, and convenience stores without a prescription—and how to use it. Messaging may note that bystanders witnessing a possible overdose should dial 911, administer naloxone, check for breathing, perform CPR if trained in it or if instructed by a 911 operator, and stay with the person until first responders arrive. If overdose symptoms do not resolve before help arrives, give additional doses of naloxone every two to three minutes until the person begins to breathe normally. Naloxone is safe to administer even if a person isn’t overdosing or isn’t overdosing on opioids. Additionally, many states have Good Samaritan laws protecting people who are overdosing and those assisting them from certain legal penalties.