A police department in Arkansas has apologized for sharing a misleading warning about the danger of opioids on its Facebook page.
"The post about the fentanyl was sent so me from another officer at another Department," the Leachville Police Department wrote on Facebook Thursday. "I simply shared it. I’m should have checked into it further before I posted it. Sorry for the confusion."
The Leachville Police Department warned residents to wipe down shopping carts before using them to protect against the dangers of fentanyl, a powerful opioid.
"Fentanyl or something like that still on their hands and they touch that cart handle and then you do, it can get into your system," the department originally posted on Facebook. "Scary but worth taking the time to clean the handle. All you'd have to do is rub your nose or touch your child's mouth. I never even considered this possibility. Children being exposed to just the powder or residue is a bad situation that can turn deadly."
While a police officer in Ohio recently claimed ot have overdosed on fentanyl by simply touching the substance, some experts dispute the officer's claim.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids killed more than 33,000 people in 2015. Nearly half of the opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid, according to the CDC.
