The alarming rise in highly addictive fentanyl on Seattle streets has exacerbated many problems plaguing downtown. Fentanyl is cheap, plentiful, and, often, lethal.

Public transit riders have told KIRO-7 News that they don’t feel safe riding the bus. Its use on Metro buses is so common that one frequent bus rider said, “It’s (happening) on every other bus, I’d say, to be honest with you.”

The widespread use of fentanyl impacts the health of riders and drivers alike. As one union official told KIRO-7 News:

“Operators … say, ‘I’m getting sick,’” said Cory Rigtrup, Vice President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, which represents King County Metro Transit drivers. “They say, ‘I’m getting headaches, I’m getting dizzy.’ I stop the bus, I pull over, and let people off because they’re experiencing the same thing. They want off the bus.”