Checking for Fentanyl

THERE IS A LOT OF PANIC AROUND FENTANYL IN THE NEWS AND OUR COMMUNITIES. HOW WE TALK ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND DRUGS AND POTENTIAL RISKS CAN MAKE US FEEL AFRAID, ESPECIALLY IF WE’VE HEARD SCARY STORIES FROM SOURCES LIKE THE POLICE OR ON THE NEWS.

Opioid overdose deaths are increasing at a devastating rate and many point to fentanyl alone as the culprit. While fentanyl presents some newer challenges to the ever shifting landscape of our unsafe drug supply, misappropriating core facts about the overdose crisis is leading to the misdirection of vital, life-saving resources and creating a fentanyl hysteria.

Fentanyl is an extremely potent* drug that can be used safely when used with care. Fentanyl is on the WHO’s list of Essential Medicines and has been used in hospitals for decades. The risk comes from not knowing how much fentanyl is present and the effects of combining with other drugs.

*Potent means that you need a very small amount in comparison to other drugs to feel effects.

Touching fentanyl will not cause you to overdose; this is a myth that has been perpetuated by law enforcement and disproven countless times.

You can find more information on the myth that Fentanyl is being handed out to children in Halloween Candy Here.

Harm Reduction History

Using fentanyl test strips to test street drugs for the presence of fentanyl is a harm reduction intervention pioneered by activists such as Tino Fuentes and now supported by health departments across the country as a life saving intervention alongside naloxone.

Fentanyl test strips were originally developed to be used to test for the presence of fentanyl in urine. This is the reason why dilution is important and tricky when using the test strips.
 
 

Fentanyl Myths vs. Facts

 

MYTH:

Fentanyl is present in weed.

FACT:

Fentanyl burns and becomes inactive at high temperatures when in sustained direct contact with flame. While it is possible for weed to be laced with opioids, it would be an inefficient delivery system for the drug despite this persistent myth. Fentanyl contamination primarily occurs in powders and pressed pills.

MYTH:

Fentanyl overdose can happen through touching or being near fentanyl.

FACT:

Fentanyl will not absorb through the skin from accidental exposure, and it is not strong enough to cause an overdose from airborne exposure. News articles about first responders overdosing from airborne fentanyl exposure is often the result of a panic attack.

MYTH:

Naloxone doesn’t work on fentanyl or fentanyl analogues.

FACT:

Naloxone works on ALL types of opioids, no matter how strong. You might need more doses if one doesn’t work after 2-3 minutes. Rescue breaths are one of the most important steps you can take while waiting for the person to breath on their own.

MYTH:

Mixing Opioids with Stims can prevent ODs.

FACT:

Stimulants cannot reverse opioid overdoses. In some cases, using meth or coke, especially at higher doses, can lead to another type of overdose called Overamping.

MYTH:

Fentanyl Test Strips are Always Right.

FACT:

FTS may result in false positives or false negatives from manufacturing errors or if you do not follow instructions like diluting more when testing for the type of drug you are using. New strips designed for harm reduction purposes have been created, since the original forensics application made this pretty challenging.

MYTH:

I only need to be concerned about fentanyl if I am using certain drugs like heroin.

FACT:

Fentanyl has been found in not just heroin, but cocaine, methamphetamine, counterfeit pills, and other street drugs. Testing every time before you use may not be enough, and some drugs like weed don’t need to be tested at all.  

 
 

JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE AT RISK. THERE ARE WAYS TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE.

Using fentanyl test strips to test street drugs for the presence of fentanyl is a harm reduction intervention pioneered by activists such as Tino Fuentes, and health departments across the country now support it as a life-saving intervention alongside naloxone.

Fentanyl test strips were originally developed to test for the presence of fentanyl in urine. This is why dilution is important and tricky when using the test strips.

FENTANYL TEST STRIPS ARE JUST ONE OF MANY HARM REDUCTION TOOLS. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOT ONLY RELY ON FENTANYL TEST STRIPS AS OVERDOSE PREVENTION.

Think about these questions when deciding to use FTS…

  • Is this a drug that needs to be checked?

    • Not all drugs need to be checked for the presence of fentanyl. Weed, LSD, and psilocybin mushrooms are a few drugs that don’t need to be tested with FTS. 

    • How often do you use?

      • Daily, regularly, occasionally, once or twice a year? Tolerance can impact the high regardless of the result from the FTS. 

    • What drug are you wanting to check?

      • Using FTS differs depending on the drug and how it comes. Checking meth and pills has different steps than opioids or other substances.

    • Can you follow the instructions exactly?

      • FTS have specific steps that are necessary to follow to get the most accurate results depending on the drug’s form (liquid, powder) and type (opioid, stimulant). 

  • Importantly, consider what type of situation you’re ready for…

    • A positive? An overdose? A false negative? False positive? A great experience? Liking fent more than you thought?

      To Fent or Not to Fent… That Is the Question.

KEEP YOUR HARM REDUCTION TOOLBOX STOCKED WITH NALOXONE.

Fentanyl test strips can’t reverse an overdose. No matter the result from using fentanyl test strips, having naloxone nearby is key to saving a life in case an opioid overdose does happen. Naloxone can reverse any opioid overdose, whether it’s from heroin, fentanyl, or analogues like carfentanil. If you don’t have naloxone on hand during an opioid overdose, rescue breaths are essential. Click here to find out how to get naloxone from NEXT.

COMMON MYTHS AND TRUTHS ABOUT FENTANYL TEST STRIPS, NALOXONE, AND OPIOIDS

YOU know what is best for you. Learning about drug myths is just as helpful a harm reduction and overdose prevention tool as fentanyl test strips. 

Even though research has confirmed that fentanyl test strips are an accurate, low-cost, and relatively easy method of testing drugs for the presence of fentanyl, they aren’t always a 100% guarantee. Ideally, it’s best to use them every time you use, but it may not be realistic for everyone. 

 

WHEN SHOULD I USE FENTANYL TEST STRIPS?

First, what does an ideal set-up and situation look like?* 

  • Your drug has a potential risk of being adulterated

  • You have all the supplies you need 

  • You can follow the testing directions exactly as written 

  • You are in a location that is safe and you aren’t rushed

  • You feel prepared and have naloxone to respond to an opioid overdose in case of an emergency

*Instructions for how to test heroin and cocaine/crack. Pills, meth, and others require different instructions.
(Click image to view full size)
 

Do you have a question or myth? Send it to info@nextdistro.org and we’ll answer it there!

THE DRUG SUPPLY IS NOT RELIABLE. WHAT YOU THINK YOU’RE GETTING ISN’T ALWAYS WHAT IT IS. 

Fentanyl may not be the only potentially risky substance present in your drugs. Fentanyl test strips can be helpful but aren’t always enough. Your seller may not always know what other things could be mixed in your supply. Other drug checking tools like reagent kits can be used, but they can be expensive and legality varies by state (updated as of 2019). In some states like Missouri, they are still considered paraphernalia.

Because of the War on Drugs, misguided public health policy, and laws punishing drug use, the unsafe drug supply is growing. Inconsistent purity and potent cuts ranging from vet medicine (e.g. xylazine) to strong fentanyl analogues (e.g. carfentanil) are just some of the many results of the criminalization of people who use drugs.

Where do I get fentanyl test strips?

Please note that if you do not use drugs frequently or daily, it is not necessary to request more than a couple test strips from free harm reduction programs. 

Buy them from other drug checking orgs: If you need fentanyl test strips and cannot obtain them or don’t use drugs frequently, you can purchase them from Dose Test.

SSP near you: You can contact the program closest to you. If you are in NYC, please connect to a local syringe service program. Most programs may be able to provide them for free.

Mail order through a NEXT affiliate: NEXT’s naloxone mailing program now offers fentanyl test strips in New York (upstate only), Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Philly.

Mail order through NEXT Harm Reduction: If you are a person who uses drugs and you do not live near a syringe exchange program, please visit nextdistro.org/getnext to learn if you are eligible for one of our free full service mail-based programs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FENTANYL HERE:

PsychonautWiki: Fentanyl

Filter: Health Care Workers Need to Be Watching the Splintering Drug Supply, 09/28/2021

Filter: Why Harsher Fentanyl Penalties Will Exacerbate the Overdose Crisis, 01/22/2020

USING FENTANYL TEST STRIPS

Instructions can be found online at Harm Reduction Coalition:

Image courtesy of Harm Reduction Coalition.

MORE RESOURCES ABOUT FENTANYL TEST STRIPS: