Possible, but highly (highly) improbable. Fentanyl doesn’t absorb through the skin very well, so that’s not a significant risk. We recommend that you wash your hands with soap and water (not alcohol or sanitizer) if you get it on your skin.
In addition, when someone smokes fentanyl, most of the drug has been filtered out by the user before there is secondhand smoke. Studies have looked at fentanyl concentrations in the bloodstream after someone has had secondhand fentanyl exposure from smoke. The levels are extremely low or not detectable. So, there’s no real risk for the everyday person being exposed to secondhand opioid smoke.
Fentanyl and other opioid drugs are what we call very fat-soluble. They like to get inside cells, in tissues like the brain. If a person takes fentanyl, it will quickly be taken up by the brain, the liver, and other fatty tissues and not linger in the air.
For additional information on fentanyl exposure please read the ACMT and AACT Position Statement: Preventing Occupational Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analog Exposure to Emergency Responders