Lee Trawick
reporter2@riverbendnews.org
Over the last few months, stories have lingered online about fentanyl-laced money placed in heavily trafficked areas. These stories have, of course, invoked fear among citizens. Although several cases have popped up in Riverbend News' surrounding counties, neither Suwannee, Hamilton or Lafayette have had any confirmed instances. That is, until recently.
On Tuesday, Aug. 15, the wife of a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputy contacted her husband with a frightening story. She informed him she had recently gone grocery shopping at Publix in Live Oak. Upon returning home, she opened a brand-new can of baby formula and found a folded-up $20 bill lying on the sealed foil under the lid. Aware of the fentanyl scares looming over the area, she reached out to her husband. On Tuesday, Aug. 8, a recent public safety bulletin was released by the Perry Police Department pertaining to the threat of fentanyl-laced money. Knowing this, the deputy rushed home to field test the $20 bill; it tested positive for fentanyl, marking it as the first documented case of laced money in Suwannee, Lafayette and Hamilton Counties.
It is a misconception that fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin. However, when unknowingly handling the drug, an individual can absorb it through their eyes or inhalation; on average, individuals touch their faces 23 times an hour. Someone unknowingly handling fentanyl can also transmit it to food before it is consumed.
More than 150 people die every day due to fentanyl and other opioids overdose. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose since 2015 due to its instability. It becomes even more deadly when a person is unsuspectedly handling the substance.
Residents are advised not to pick up things that are not theirs and to report any suspicious activity to their local law enforcement.