Two Montgomery County employees reported feeling ill after handling a flyer outside the RB Tullis Library in New Caney that later tested positive for fentanyl, according to Precinct 4 constables. The case remains under investigation.
According to the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, two employees from Montgomery County reported experiencing dizziness and feeling unwell after handling a flyer that subsequently tested positive for fentanyl.
Officials reported that on Tuesday, a woman approached the two women outside the RB Tullis Library and handed them a damp, pink-tinted piece of paper. Approximately 30 minutes later, both employees reported experiencing shaky hands, dizziness, and hot flashes, according to a news release from the constable’s office.
Two women, whose identities remain undisclosed, presented the paper at the constable’s office, where an evidence technician performed a field test that yielded a positive result for fentanyl. Officials have yet to confirm if the substance is responsible for the symptoms reported by the women. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made at this time.
“We provide this information not to cause concern within the community, but to enhance public awareness,” the constable’s office stated in a post on Facebook. “We strongly encourage all individuals to remain vigilant and refrain from accepting items from unfamiliar persons in public spaces.”
Officials did not clarify if the women underwent testing for exposure or how fentanyl may have entered their systems.
Medical experts have consistently warned that casual contact with fentanyl does not lead to toxic effects. UC Davis Health states that fentanyl cannot be absorbed through the skin just by touching it. “The only situation in which fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin is with a specially prescribed fentanyl skin patch, and even in that case, it requires hours of exposure,” stated Dr. Daniel Colby, co-medical director of UC Davis’ Department of Emergency Medicine.
Opioid exposure may present symptoms such as drowsiness, dizziness, and nausea. In cases of overdose, signs can include constricted pupils, unconsciousness, and slow or halted breathing.
This case brings to mind a 2018 incident in Harris County where a sheriff’s sergeant was hospitalized after coming into contact with a flyer that was initially thought to contain fentanyl. Subsequent analysis conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed that the flyers tested negative for opioids.
The investigation in Montgomery County is still in progress.
