Content
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug that is used to treat severe pain, but it is also made illegally and sold on the street. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and counterfeit pills, to increase their potency and profitability. This makes it extremely dangerous, as users may not be aware that they are taking fentanyl, and even small amounts can be lethal.
Act 111, which amends the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act of 1972 to no longer define fentanyl test strips as drug paraphernalia, took effect Monday. Under the new law, people in Pennsylvania who buy or carry fentanyl testing strips will no longer face potential criminal charges for possession of drug paraphernalia. Fentanyl test strips are distributed for personal use through the Utah Syringe Services Providers and community-based organizations across Utah. Contact the organizations closest to you to verify hours of operation and supply. Our goal is to assist those experiencing a substance use disorder get the help needed and reduce the impact of drug use on Utah’s communities. If you are around people or situations where an opioid overdose may occur, such as someone in your family uses opioids, you can become trained on how to administer it and have some on hand in case there is an overdose.
Where To Find Fentanyl Test Strips
Why Are Fentanyl Test Strips Important?
- Fentanyl is commonly mixed with other drugs and is more than 50 times more powerful than heroin.
- Due to the drug’s potency, only a miniscule amount—the equivalent of several grains of salt—can cause an overdose death [23] and can be nearly impossible to identify in illicit drugs with the naked eye.
- It’s a tough thing to study, but as best as we can tell, it’s most likely unintentional.
Fentanyl test strips are a simple and inexpensive way to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs. They can help prevent overdoses by alerting users to the presence of fentanyl, allowing them to take precautions, such as using a smaller amount or using with someone who can administer naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug. Fentanyl test strips can also help reduce the harm associated with drug use by providing users with information about the drugs they are taking, enabling them to make informed decisions about their use.
Distribution Part Of Efforts To Reduce Drug Overdose Deaths
In contrast to other pending federal bills based on failed “War on Drugs” reasoning, this bill does not rely on the criminal law which disproportionately polices, convicts and incarcerates people of color. Fentanyl Test Strips are a tool to identify the presence of fentanyl in unregulated drugs. Fentanyl is an extremely potent drug that has been found in many different substances (such as cocaine, ecstasy, and other opioids), usually without the knowledge of the person using the substance. It is recommended that you test any substance you plan to consume to check for the presence of fentanyl. This is not all the information you need to know about fentanyl test strips for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your healthcare provider’s advice. Review and follow the full test strip information before use, as directions may vary among tests.
Where Can I Buy Fentanyl Test Strips?
Find Up To Date Treatment Options
Fentanyl test strips are available from a variety of sources, including:
And yet as a concept, it’s gotten attached to these misperceptions. Right now, we exist in an era where the illicit drug supply in this country is unregulated, contaminated, and often poisonous. One way to keep people safe is to give them knowledge of what it is that they’re using. Fentanyl test strips are not a panacea, but they are a way for someone to know if fentanyl is present or not. More than 80 per cent of drugs sold as heroin on the streets of Vancouver don’t contain any heroin at all, while nearly all of them contain the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Fentanyl overdoses and deaths have increased over the past few years.
Trystereo New Orleans Harm Reduction Network
- Syringe exchange programs: Many syringe exchange programs offer fentanyl test strips for free or at a low cost. To find a syringe exchange program near you, visit the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN) website at https://nasen.org/find-an-exchange/.
- Online retailers: Fentanyl test strips are available for purchase online from a variety of retailers. However, it is important to ensure that the retailer is reputable and that the test strips are authentic. Some online retailers that sell fentanyl test strips include DanceSafe and Bunk Police.
- Community-based organizations: Many community-based organizations, such as harm reduction organizations and drug user unions, offer fentanyl test strips for free or at a low cost. To find a community-based organization near you, visit the Harm Reduction Coalition website at https://harmreduction.org/about-us/find-an-organization/.
- Pharmacies: In some states, fentanyl test strips are available for purchase over the counter in pharmacies. However, this is not yet widely available, and it is important to check with your local pharmacy to see if they carry fentanyl test strips.
The number of overdose deaths in the U.S. from synthetic opioids doubled from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, 744 people from Washington died from an opioid related overdose and 198 of these deaths included fentanyl. If we look at communities of people who use drugs, stereotypes have resulted in a lack of support from society at large. Communities of people who use drugs have risen up to figure out pragmatic solutions to save the lives of their neighbors, community members, people they care about. The fact that naloxone programs have been so effective proves this. Harm reduction at its core is about radical love and acceptance for another human being.
In the US, where SIFs have not been legalized, FTS offer PWUD the option to test their own drugs in a private setting. Because evidence for distributing FTS for home use by PWUD is nascent, there are many uncertainties regarding the efficacy and the safety of FTS self-testing as a means of overdose prevention [34]. Preliminary research has found mixed results regarding the efficacy and acceptability of fentanyl self-testing as harm reduction strategy. A study performed in North Carolina among people who injected drugs found FTS were widely used among the sample and that a positive FTS resulted in changes in drug use behavior [35]. This conflicting evidence points to the fact that further research is needed to understand the ways in which FTS are viewed and used by PWUD. The need for additional research is particularly urgent as FTS are being distributed by multiple US harm reduction organizations and state departments of health for at-home use [37,38,39,40,41,42].
Conclusion
Fentanyl test strips are an important tool in preventing overdoses and reducing the harm associated with drug use. They are available from a variety of sources, including syringe exchange programs, online retailers, community-based organizations, and pharmacies. By using fentanyl test strips, users can make informed decisions about their drug use and take precautions to reduce their risk of overdose.
