New drugs, new fears: synthetic opioids and adaptations to police practice.

Police officers’ work environment is continually changing, with new risks emerging quickly and unpredictably – increasing officer stress and anxiety in the process. The recent emergence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl as an illicit recreational drug has introduced into police work new, potentially life-threatening, but also somewhat ambiguous risks. Police organizations have modified their policies and practices to manage the dangers posed by …