Police Chief: Woman Used My Business Card To Snort Heroin

CANAL FULTON, Ohio (WWJ/AP) - This wasn't his intent when an Ohio police chief left his business card for a resident: The officer discovered that a woman later used the rolled-up card to snort heroin.

Canal Fulton Police Chief Douglas Swartz says someone found the woman passed out on Sunday.

"She was standing with both feet on the ground and leaning over the bed, however, from her waist up she was not touching the bed," the witness described to the officers.

Swartz said the woman was passed out and snoring in that position and, according to the witness, appeared to be levitating over the bed.

The witness brought the woman to the police station seeking help, along with spilled powder that the well-intentioned observer had scooped up with his bare hands.

Swartz shared the story on Facebook with a plea for people to call emergency responders if they come across drugs rather than touching potentially dangerous substances themselves.

"There is a message I would like to spread to everyone today," Swartz said. "Heroin users are walking amongst us in the thousands and dropping like flies. Libraries, public bathrooms, parks, in vehicles at intersections, and even sidewalks are common scenes where heroin addicts are collapsing the very second after ingesting this drug. It is very important NOT to do what this household member did today, and that is touch this drug. "

Swartz says touching drugs is a bad idea because with some drugs, even minimal exposure can be deadly. Fentanyl, he said, is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and just a quarter of a milligram — which is just a few granules —  can kill you.

Swartz said, under a new law, the woman was not arrested. She is required to seek drug treatment and will face a felony drug possession charge if she fails to seek treatment within 30 days.

© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.