LEACHVILLE, Ark. (WFLA) — Police are advising shoppers to take a simple extra step that could save your life.
The next time you’re hauling a cart around the store, be sure to wipe down the handles first.
One police department is recommending this to the public, but it’s not because of germs reason we’re all thinking.
They say if you skip using a wipe, that can usually be found at the front of most stores, it could be deadly.
The department said drugs such as fentanyl or a similar substance can enter into your system from contact with your hands.
Exposure to fentanyl can be extremely dangerous, especially for children. In September a 12-year-old Columbus boy died after coming into contact with the drug.
The advice comes from the Leachville Police Department’s Facebook page.
Below is the full post from the LPD:
Chris Hoyt, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado hospital to KUSA that while one milligram of fentanyl in its powder form is enough to cause an overdose, the chances of a person coming in contact with the drug in a space like a grocery store are very slim.
“If you just happen to walk by them, it’s very, very, very unlikely that you’re going to get sick that way,” Hoyt said.
Lt. Scott Reed from the Multi-County Narcotics and Violent Crimes Unit tells WKYC, if someone had enough fentanyl in their system to the point where it would transfer from their skin, they would probably be unconscious or dead. Reed says they would probably be too high to get out of their car, grab a cart, and go shopping.
Grab a wipe and at least stay healthy.
