Police ‘ebola meth’ joke on Facebook leads to arrest

The joke has shown up on police department Facebook pages: Anyone in possession of methamphetamine or other illegal drugs should stop by the police station for testing because the drugs might somehow contain ebola.

In Granite Shoals, Texas, one such post, labelled a “Breaking News Alert”, was shared thousands of times. It even netted an arrest.

Police say threats about “ebola meth” are a fun, harmless sting they set up to catch criminals in the act, even if the joke alludes to what was once an actual global public health crisis. But some advocates said the posts run the risk of degrading trust in law enforcement and public health authorities.