• Fentanyl, Not As Bad As We Think?

Did you see the viral video of a law enforcement officer from San Diego having a severe reaction to fentanyl exposure... or so that was the premise of the video that was a mixture of bodycam footage and interviews after the fact.  

The Dangers of Fentanyl - San Diego County Sheriff's Department from San Diego County Sheriff on Vimeo.

The video was shared by RSO's Facebook page and I was more than happy to send it along to whoever might see it that follows Wildomar Rap.

Not long after, I got some push back by a friend about it. 

Facebook Post in Question

He posted one word: Illicit

I didn't get the point. 

In the post I had said, "You don't have to be a drug user (or know someone that is) to potentially be a victim of exposure to it."

It was just a quick PSA of sorts, nothing I figured would need much nuance.

Essentially it was a longer way of using South Park's Mr. Mackey's famous saying, "Drugs are bad... m'kay".

Who is going to argue with that?

Then the video started getting push back from other sources too, saying that the story didn't add up.

Link to NBC San Diego News Story

"While the sheriff's department stands by the video as an archive of what one of the world's deadliest street drugs can do just by being in its presence, some experts see it as an improbable, if not impossible, incident."

You may be wondering, why write a blog about it? I'm wondering that myself, but none the less here I am...

Since I was one of many outlets that shared this video, and it got questioned by major news outlets, I wanted to answer the direct question(s) I received.

Screenshot of the post

This is not the type of subject that takes a short answer, no matter what Mr. Mackey may think... m'kay?! 

Long Answer part I

Drugs are bad, and when that is said it is understood by most as reference to "illegal/illicit" drugs, that can quickly take over a person's life. There is no need to differentiate between prescription and nonprescription once a person reaches adulthood.

I will say that when I was a kid in the '70s I was always a bit confused by hearing about the downside of drugs, and then visiting the drug store... or hearing about how people from the previous generations used to get ice cream sodas from the drug store (such a confusing idea at an early age).

On the Facebook post I responded to my friend's comment of "Illicit" this way: 

I'm missing the distinction if you're making one.

I don't know anyone that confuses the context where I used "drug user" with someone on prescription medication.

If that were the case, my wife would be one of Wildomar's biggest druggies. 

 My wife is also on very strong pain meds (Oops, I think I just threw HIPAA right out the window there, sorry not sorry).

I'm not making light of it, I'm accepting it. While at the same time recognizing the limitations to our otherwise awesome language. 

Long Answer part II
What about the claim of this being a video pushing a false narrative?

From what I've been reading, reports of such reactions may be overblown. Here's another couple of paragraphs from the NBC story linked above:

"The peer-reviewed Journal of Emergency Medical Services has suggested "growing hysteria" about fentanyl for the adverse first responder responses and said "victims complain of a variety of nonspecific symptoms including dizziness, anxiety, fatigue, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting and syncope."

"Sheila P. Vakharia, deputy director of research and academic engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance, said by email that the video contributes to "opioid phobia" and the most egregious aspects of the unsuccessful war on drugs."

As it happened, after I got done reading the other side of this story I was listening to my new favorite morning radio program Armstrong & Getty and they were talking about this very thing.

I don't have a direct quote from the show, but I agreed with the views that went something like this.

I'm not a fan of misinformation, but was this done to intentionally deceive? Was the footage faked/staged? Couldn't it be authentic, and captured on bodycam footage, then misinterpreted? I'm not sure that I back the idea of playing down the dangers of illegal drugs, especially fentanyl. 

That was a very loosely paraphrased quote from the show, mixed in with my views. Sorry, I don't have time to go track down the verbatim at this point. 

I don't know what the argument is supposed to be? 

Why must everything get conflated with something similar, but not the same (pyrite is not gold).

As far as the "Opioid Phobia" mentioned above I don't get it. What's the alternative? 

Opioid Tolerance?

Long Answer part III

For all the various overblown claims out there, this is one that I am not interested in quibbling over. I'm just not. 

Drugs are bad... m'kay.

That works great for kids, and it's up to their parents to fill in the details of why ice cream is available at drug stores; it's not the responsibility of those that put together basic PSA videos.

But what about adults that are watching the PSA in question?

If adults can't think their way out of a wet paper bag, then they really aren't going to get the subtle differences in a longer format message anyway... not even if the Kardashian sisters get out the whiteboard and analogize it with one of the their many product lines.

Maybe Ted-Talk could make a snappy animation about it?

"Gee Wildo-Rap, sure sounds like you're in favor of government agencies lying to the public, don't you think we can handle the truth?"

There's no doubt that we can handle the truth. 

Look at what we learned adults did in the Spring of 2020 when we horded toilet paper. Ok, I was taking a (get off the) pot shot there. >>ZING<<

Of course we are mature enough to handle anything that we hear... but then there's that one guy that ruins it for everyone. You know that if the powers that be let up on the "opioid phobia" this guy would stock up on Oxy, Morphine, Heroine and Fentanyl. 

How much am I NOT into feeding questionable stories to people?

Yes, I was the other that guy that didn't teach his kids that Santa or the tooth fairy were real. Just congenial characters that make childhood more fun.

The thing is, even when I raised my three kids to know the truth about Santa Claus, at least my middle child still insisted that he was real. I have video of it, but I don't want to have to go into witness protection, so I'm not sharing it here.

Oh wait, it's already on YouTube and has over 140K views. 

"Hey kids, there is no Santa, and what you saw in the SDCSD video was fake too"

NBC News quoted a physician who raised serious doubts about the scenario.

"We have a lot of scientific evidence and a good knowledge of chemical laws and the way that these drugs work that says this is impossible," said Ryan Marino, medical director for toxicology and addiction at University Hospitals in Cleveland.

Link to another article saying that fentanyl can't do what we've been told.

Let's sum this blog up

1) Drugs are bad, m'kay!

2) I see nothing wrong with the PSA put out by the San Diego Sheriff's office.

3) There is no need to differentiate prescription drug use and illegal drug use when discussing it, even if it's the same substance, unless that's part of the story itself; hone your perspicacity.

4) Complaining about "Opioid Phobia" is about as senseless as complaining about "Playing on the Freeway Phobia".

This is a screenshot of a video I wrote and produced. It was awesome. If you care, search "Dumber Ways To Die". 

5) I didn't see any diabolical plan by the San Diego Sheriff looking to get over on the public, though I will leave that door ajar if it turns out that it was as staged as the moon landing. 

(No, I don't think the moon landing was faked... please update the drivers on your sarcasm detector if you weren't sure) 

6) I believe in truth and transparency, and those in the government should never lose sight of the fact that we the people are citizens, not subjects, and the only reason why elected leaders are in their positions is that we've consented to it. (Hear that Joseph???)

10) What happened to 7, 8 and 9. 

This is why six was afraid of seven... because seven ate nine.

There are many other things on the grievance list to get bent about... overselling the dangers of a dangerous (illicit) drug isn't on the list... not even if the list was 500 items long. 

•                •                •

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.

– Duke Ellington

Wildomar Rap just writes blogs after the pouting begins.

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