Idaho State Police brief Bonner County merchants on fentanyl risks, testing and free training

The Idaho State Police and Army National Guard counterdrug analysts told members of the Local Merchant Planning Committee that counterfeit fentanyl is increasingly common in pills, vapes and powder and urged merchants and parents to prioritize awareness and training.

At the start of the briefing the hosts said the presentation would include a documentary and a slide deck designed by Idaho Fentanyl Education. Detective Dakota Christiansen and an unnamed detective from the narcotics division, joined by Staff Sergeant David Fisher of the Guard's counterdrug program, described national and state trends, recent seizures and the practical steps businesses and schools should take if they encounter suspected fentanyl.

"Fentanyl kills possibly more people than any other drug currently in the U.S.," Dakota Christiansen said during the presentation, and presenters repeatedly used family testimony in the documentary to illustrate the personal harm behind the statistics. Filmmaker Dominic Tierno introduced the video and said it…