There is not much debate anymore about the importance of letting people test their drugs. Using test strips saves lives from a drug that has caused overdose deaths to skyrocket. Washington is expanding access to testing strips. The strips warn people if the drugs or pills they are about to consume contain potentially deadly fentanyl. Some 712 people in King County died from consuming fentanyl last year. That is up significantly from 109 in 2019.
The test strips have many supporters now. This is due to the alarming amount of fentanyl deaths. State lawmakers were told by Washington’s public heath experts that fentanyl test strips are a powerful tool because it detects synthetic opioid. People generally have no intention of consuming the drug. County officials say anyone using pills are at risk. It is increasingly added to counterfeit pills and even mistaken for other white powder drugs like cocaine.
Seattle is not new to this. Public health officials in King County had already been working to distribute fentanyl test strips last year. Stories of bars jumping on board and offeringtest strips were writtenabout in this publication in several stories. State law was not clear on the test strips. Some say opportunities are there for organizations that distribute fentanyl test strips. They may help more people get various needed services and treatment.
Washington’s Department of Health says it is spending about $100,000 to distribute 75,000 fentanyl test strips to needle exchanges. They will also target other groups that work with people with substance abuse issues. The instruction is important for the user. To test for fentanyl, a person can dissolve a small amount of the drug or pill they’re about to consume in water. They will get the results a few minutes after dipping a test strip in the solution.
After a new law took effect clarifying that fentanyl testing strips are not illegal drug paraphernalia, local government entities such as the department of health began purchasing them. The public officials began stating that the strips can save lives by alerting people to the presence of the powerful synthetic opioid. Right away, the amount of overdose deaths in King County and statewide has made it make sense.
