A Tennessee sheriff’s office is warning the public not to pick up folded dollar bills because it may contain a deadly substance: fentanyl.
In a Facebook post, the Giles County Sheriff’s Office said two folded dollar bills were found on the floor at a local gas station.
“When it was found and retrieved, the person discovered a white powdery substance inside,” the post said.
The substance has been tested and was positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, “Skin exposure is not expected to result in toxicity due to extremely poor penetration of the skin barrier, and symptoms of skin exposure intoxication are unlikely.”
The agency suggests that if skin does become contaminated with fentanyl, hands should be washed immediately with water.
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“This is a very dangerous matter,” the sheriff’s office said in the mail.
The post asked people to teach their children not to pick up folded dollar bills without a guardian or parent present. It also featured a picture of a small amount of a powdery substance next to a penny, warning that that amount is more than enough to kill anyone who came into contact with it.
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“Be warned and be safe.” the mail closed.
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tennessee Sheriff’s Office Warns the Public of Folded Dollar Bills
