RaCERS Staff Publish Preliminary Findings from Fentanyl Self-Protection Survey of First Responders

RaCERS Doctoral Research Assistant Eric Persaud and Director Charles Jennings published preliminary results of a survey if first responders on attitudes and knowledge about occupational fentanyl exposure. Reporting results from over 180 New York State first responders, an article appears in the New York State Chief’s Chronicle, a publication of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police.
While overall knowledge is good, some responders report uncertainty in regard to protective equipment, and media reports continue to to provide unverified claims of ill-effects due to casual expoure to illicit drugs.

The article appears in the June 2019 issue. The full June issue of the Chronicle is available here.

“We appreciate the support of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police in publicizing this survey, and hope the results improve safety for New York’s law enforcement community,” said Eric Persaud, lead researcher for the study. The data which also includes EMS workers and firefighters, will be presented in a scholarly manuscript in the coming months.

The New York State Association of Chiefs of Police was organized in 1901, and supports New York’s more than 500 Police Chiefs.