Fentanyl on the Frontlines: The Reproduction of Disinformation and Panic Among First Responders

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Abstract

In 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) alerted first responders that fentanyl presented a new occupational hazard – specifically, that first responders could experience a potentially fatal overdose following casual contact with the drug. Despite the medical community swiftly and continually debunking such claims (Moss et al., 2017), the legacy of this disinformation persists. Utilizing constructionist theory, this paper examines the social construction of fentanyl as dangerous and deadly among first responders. Based on 40 in-depth semi-structured interviews, our findings highlight how the institutionalization of purported role-specific knowledge among first responders continues to reproduce disinformation, despite ongoing counterclaims from the medical community. Specifically, through trainings, interactions with people who use drugs, and peers, first responders produce and maintain a symbolic universe in which fentanyl exposure is believed to pose a serious risk to themselves.

Authors

• Joshua Stout, Illinois State University

• Stephanie Cecava-Scott, Illinois State University