SEATTLE — The University of Washington (UW) released Thursday its final report in a first-of-its-kind study on the potential impacts of drug use on transit systems in western Washington.
A UW research team collected air and surface samples for fentanyl and methamphetamine from 11 buses and 19 train cars, according to the report.
The report said the four participating transit agencies identified routes, runs, and time of day when controlled substance use would be most likely to occur. Samples were collected over 28 nights between March 27 and June 22.
UW researchers analyzed the findings from 78 air samples and 102 surface samples. According to the report, of the 78 air samples, 20 (25%) had detectable fentanyl and 100% had detectable methamphetamine. Of the 102 surface samples, 47 (46%) had detectable fentanyl and 100 (98%) had detectable methamphetamine.
