[yata69420]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carfentanil wasn't banned in China until 2017.

I think the origin of what's now being blamed on "fentanyl" is the real risk that even the smallest inhalation of improperly stored synthetic opioids (things that are 100x+ strong than fentanyl) could cause injury or death.

Also (depending on who you believe), this class of drugs has been deployed as an aerosol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_hostage_crisis_chemical...

Because these synthetics were legal (?) to import for a long time, field agents probably do have a real risk of encountering them stored improperly, even if NPR couldn't find a case about it. Probably it wouldn't have shown up under "fentanyl" if that's all they searched, but it's the same crisis.

I even recall one HN poster telling their story about designing a synthetic opioid and paying a lab overseas to make it.

Obviously cops doing bad things important to report on, but it's a shame NPR doesn't give the context about the chemicals, since the chemicals are the cause of the crisis.

[whywhywhydude]

The difference here is Russia deliberately converted it into a aerosol form that can be absorbed by the lungs. It’s not the same as carfentanil dust (or vapor) as a result of bad storage.