Synthetic Cannabinoid and Mitragynine Exposure of Law Enforcement Agents During the Raid of an Illegal Laboratory — Nevada, 2014

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Personal Author:
  Tapp, Loren C. ; Ramsey, Jessica G. ; Wen, Anita ; Gerona, Roy
• Description:
  Summary: What is already known about this topic? Some persons who have inhaled or ingested synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have had severe health effects. New SCs continue to be manufactured despite Drug Enforcement Administration efforts. Law enforcement personnel have experienced symptoms during methamphetamine laboratory investigations, but little is known about their symptoms during SC enforcement activities. What is added by this report? This is the first reported investigation of occupational SC exposure. SCs or their urinary metabolites or mitragynine were detected in the urine of six of nine law enforcement agents after they were involved in raiding an illegal SC manufacturing facility and collecting, processing, and cataloging SC evidence. No policies were in place regarding the appropriate handling of evidence, such as requirements for gloves and protective clothing, or on prohibiting food and drink in evidence processing areas. Shower and locker areas were not provided for agents to reduce contamination and prevent take-home exposure. The layout and ventilation of the agency's office did not contain or control potential hazards from the receiving, processing, and storing of evidence. What are the implications for public health practice? Law enforcement agents are exposed to material containing SCs during raids of illegal SC laboratories, and when collecting, processing, and cataloging SC evidence. A properly designed forensic facility and good hygiene practices can reduce personal exposures to potential contaminants during law enforcement raids and while handling evidence. A minimum level of personal protective equipment is needed, in addition to prohibiting eating, drinking, and smoking while processing SC evidence. Erratum. In the report "Synthetic Cannabinoid and Mitragynine Exposure of Law Enforcement Agents During the Raid of an Illegal Laboratory - Nevada, 2014," on page 1292, the following footnote should have been included with the Table: "*Any level above the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for the substance. The LLOQ for AB-PINACA, AB-PINACA OH, and AB-PINACA pent is 0.10 ng/mL; the LLOQ for mitragynine is 1.0 ng/mL." [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cannabinoids Cannabis Designer Drugs Drug And Narcotic Control Emergency Responders Environmental Pollution Full Report Hazardous Substances Indazoles Laboratories Law Enforcement Narcotics Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids Skin Urine Valine Ventilation Workplace

  More +
• Keywords:
  Cannabis; Hazardous drugs; Narcotics; Law enforcement; Law enforcement workers; Police officers; Emergency responders; Personal Protective Equipment; PPE; Protective clothing; Gloves; Ventilation systems; Dermal exposures; Health effects; Meth labs; Methamphetamine; Occupational exposure; Drugs; Urinalysis; Chemical hazards; Hazardous materials; Hazard controls; Forensic medicine; Industrial hygiene; Manual materials handling; Environmental contamination; Work environment; Employee exposure; Employee health
• Source:
  MMWR 2017 Dec; 66(47):1291-1294
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6647a3
• ISSN:
  0149-2195
• Pubmed ID:
  29190268
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5708688
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Nevada ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Burr, Gregory A. ; Sammons, Deborah ; Booher, Donald E. ; Moore, Kevin A.
• Volume:
  66
• Issue:
  47
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050683
• Email:
  ltapp@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  (-)-Mitragynine (CAS RN 4098-40-2) ; N-[(1S)-1-(Aminocarbonyl)-2-methylpropyl]-1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide (CAS RN 1445752-09-9) ; N-[1-(Aminocarbonyl)-2-methylpropyl]-1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide (CAS RN 1445583-20-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2bffffad5106fabde5b8a3c85427a0706551824a55850bfef1df98560b2ecfeea94bb8364d34fde68bc69f0d5f7c7104dc8849f1c9a5e82e6fd1872f9f5fcbd4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/54301/cdc_54301_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 104.22 KB ]