Twin Falls Residents Who Pick Money Up Off Ground Are At Risk

For most of us, a natural reaction to seeing money laying on the ground is to pick it up and pocket it. For months now, reports have surfaced from across the country regarding drug-laced bills that have sickened those who have touched them, and both police and departments of health have warned Americans to keep walking past any money they come into contact with.

In the summer of 2022, reports of fentanyl-laced dollar bills began being featured on evening news broadcasts. Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opioid that is said to be fifty times more potent than heroin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Once a person is exposed to the drug, it can absorb into the skin or be accidentally ingested once it contacts a person's hands.

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Symptoms of fentanyl exposure include dizziness, disorientation, vomiting, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, and nausea. First responders and law enforcement officials are some of the most at-risk individuals for exposure to the opioid, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).

Just a couple of months ago, a woman was arrested for dropping a fentanyl-laced bill outside a police station. Security cameras recorded the crime, which luckily didn't result in sickness to the police officer who picked it up. The outcome could have been far worse had a child come into contact with the tainted cash.

If you see cash laying on the ground when you're out and about in Twin Falls, health officials are recommending leaving it alone. These types of crimes are likely to continue happening in 2023.