KENNEWICK, Wash. - We've heard the warnings about fentanyl for years.
People are being warned to stay away from any pills that don't come from a drug store or a pharmacy, because they could be contaminated with a lethal dose.
Bits of aluminum foil in parks could be deadly to curious children and pets if they have fentanyl residue on them.
One dose of naloxone may not be enough to reverse a fentanyl overdose.
Now, experts are warning that any stolen vehicle could come back contaminated with fentanyl residue. Kolton Dean, the operations manager at Clearwater Collision and Towing in Kennewick, says having your car stolen for just one day could be enough to total it.
"We've had cars that have been stolen for one day and has tested positive for fentanyl," Dean says. "If they smoke it on the inside, then there's not necessarily going to be signs of drugs, but all of the smoke will bind to any porous surface, like the headliner and the carpet and the seats and the steering wheel."
When a stolen vehicle is recovered and brought to Clearwater Collision, Dean calls Bio Management Northwest for testing. Owner John Stavros says the first time he saw fentanyl in a vehicle was only a few years ago in Kennewick. Now, he says, the problem is "out of control."
"I've had customers that have actually gotten their vehicles out of impound, drove it out, ecstatic to get the vehicle back; made it as far as the driveway of their house and passed out." Stavros says. "I’m also dealing with a KIA dealership over on the west side of the mountains – they have technicians that are actually getting light-headed and dizzy from working on cars that are stolen and recovered cars. Now they’re refusing to work on them unless they’re tested."
Both Stavros and Dean say the drug situation has changed so rapidly that many people don't realize that they should get vehicles tested after police are finished investigating. Dean says the chance of drugs being in the car is simply too high to risk it.Â
"After your vehicle is recovered, don’t go inside the vehicle; call your insurance company," Dean says. "It’s not worth seeing what’s in there, what’s not in there; checking the glove box – it's not worth going inside the vehicle no matter what the circumstances is until it gets tested for those drugs."
If testing reveals drug residue, Dean says your insurance company will likely decide to total the car, rather than trying to clean it. Stavros says it's almost impossible to get every bit of fentanyl residue out of a vehicle.Â
"It doesn't take very much fentanyl to kill a human being," Stavros says. "Two micrograms - like half a pinch of salt - is enough to kill a human being."
"We have no idea what the levels of purity of fentanyl are in these vehicles. "I've seen ones that came back they were extremely high and...you didn't see any residue."Â
Insurance will often cover fentanyl testing on a stolen and recovered vehicle, but you might have to make a special request or file extra paperwork. Some insurance companies may also request photographs showing evidence of drug use in the vehicle. That could include:
Homemade pipesÂ
Aluminum foil and straws
Pills or powder
Syringes
You can contact your insurance company directly to get details about what your policy covers, and make changes if needed.
​COPYRIGHT 2023 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.