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How much secondhand smoke from drug users riding Metro Transit buses is too much?

It鈥檚 something 22-year driver Erik Christiansen worries about 鈥� more for his passengers than for himself.

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Christiansen told The Dori Monson Show that he and his colleagues are seeing an increasing number of riders smoking drugs on buses 鈥� and they fear for children and pregnant women who sit near drug users inhaling fentanyl fumes.

鈥淚 take the safety of my passengers very personally,鈥� Christiansen explained to Dori and his listeners. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a public health issue.鈥�

Dori talked to Christiansen Wednesday after a tip from reporter Gary Horcher at 成人X站 7 TV. Horcher will have his own look at the drugs-on-buses problem during his 5:30 p.m. newscast on Thursday.

鈥淏uses are being used as a convenient place to use narcotics or some other kinds of drugs,鈥� said Christiansen. Cooking drugs on buses is easier than doing it outside 鈥渂ecause there鈥檚 no wind and 鈥� at this point 鈥� nobody to stop them.鈥�

While most often consumed in pill form, fentanyl fumes can also be inhaled after they are 鈥渃ooked鈥� on small pieces of foil.

Dori added that listeners often send his show 鈥減ictures from buses and trains, with addicts passed out on the floor, laying in their own vomit.鈥�

鈥淥n Eastside routes and the northern routes 鈥� not as much,鈥� Christiansen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 primarily the southern routes and ones through downtown (Seattle).鈥�

Driving these latter routes takes its toll on drivers, he added.

鈥淚t is tough,鈥� the veteran driver continued. 鈥淚 changed routes to get back to the happy person I was. It was stressing me out. I was losing sleep. Now I have a decent route, and there are so many, many wonderful people on my route. I removed myself from the immediate problem of seeing the drug use.

鈥淯nfortunately, many of my fellow workers see this on an hourly basis 鈥� I do mean hourly,鈥� Christiansen explained. 鈥淪ome see it many times in their eight-hour shift.鈥�

Drug users often sit at the back of the bus, far from the driver, he said. It鈥檚 why Christiansen often invites new riders and pregnant women to sit closer to him at the front of the bus, he told Dori.

The driver described to listeners some of his favorite riders, including a group of boys, 鈥渁bout 10 or 12 years old. They鈥檙e loud and rowdy. They鈥檙e like a pack of puppies. They鈥檙e fun. What about them? Suppose they鈥檙e sitting in the back and it gets in their lungs? What鈥檚 it going to do? They don鈥檛 deserve that.

鈥淚f somebody is getting an incredible high (from smoking drugs on buses), I would imagine that leaching on to those 10-year-olds,鈥� Christiansen said.

In a March 24 鈥淪hare & Care鈥� virtual forum hosted by King County Metro Transit, General Manager Terry White downplayed the problem to participants.

鈥淲e understand employees have concerns about secondhand smoke from illegal and legal substances on our public transit system,鈥� White said. 鈥淜ing County Public Health has provided data from studies conducted by the FDA that concluded that secondhand smoke does not show up as a positive drug screening and will not get you high.鈥�

White recommended drivers use KN95 masks which 鈥渇ilter chemical and other biological particles transmitted by air.鈥�

Why are these public rolling drug dens allowed? Dori wondered.

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鈥淯nfortunately, I cannot give you a solid answer who is allowing it to happen,鈥� the driver responded. Having some kind of consistent enforcement presence on buses 鈥渨ould stop it, but I know that鈥檚 not going to happen.鈥�

Christiansen went on to say that he believes only riders can apply pressure on Metro Transit to make it stop.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e seeing this if you鈥檙e riding the bus,鈥� the driver said. 鈥淲e either live in fear or we take a stand and get this fixed. It鈥檚 up to you. Metro isn鈥檛 going to listen to the drivers. But you? You can do something. It鈥檚 up to you to do something about this.鈥�

Listen to Dori Monson weekday afternoons from noon 鈥� 3 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.