While street drug testing is new to Saskatchewan, in B.C. it's helped prevent overdoses for years
On Tuesday the provincial government announced it would be funding drug testing strips to detect two potentially deadly substances sometimes found in street drugs.
While the drug testing strips are new to Saskatchewan, other jurisdictions such as B.C. have incorporated them into their harm reduction strategies for years.
Medical health officer Dr. Mark Lysyshyn with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) says the authority looked into drug testing strips in 2016 and felt if people could identify contaminants, people might make different decisions about how and where they use drugs.
“We first looked at this at (supervised drug use centre) Insite because it was sort of a controlled environment where we could see people using the strips, we could see what they did with the result and then we could see if they overdosed,” Lysyshyn told CTV News.
Lysyshyn says people were willing to use them and when drugs tested positive for fentanyl, they were more likely to reduce their dose to try and avoid an overdose.
“Are they gonna take a smaller dose? Are they gonna use it more slowly? Maybe they’re going to tell somebody that they’re gonna use, maybe they’ll leave their door open,” Lysyshyn said.
The testing strips now available in Saskatchewan's two largest cities can detect the presence of fentanyl and benzodiazepine.
Of Saskatchewan's 73 confirmed opioid-related deaths in 2021, 66 per cent involved fentanyl which is 50-100 times more toxic than other opioids, the province said when announcing the rollout of the testing strips.
After the interest from users, VCH incorporated other drug testing methods into their program such as spectrometers, however, they require trained staff to use them.
“The strips are great for that because almost anybody can be trained on how to use them so the strips get used at our sites whenever anyone wants to check their drugs and a technician is not there,” Lysyshyn said.
Jenny Matthews with the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use emphasizes there are limitations when it comes to all drug checking technology but that it’s important there are some tools out in the community regardless.
“Until we have safer supply, people need to have ways of finding out more about what they’re using so that they can make choices about how they’re going to use their drugs,” Matthews said.
Matthews says a limitation of the strips is that they don’t reveal how much fentanyl is present and don't pick up other adulterants that may be harmful.
The strips offered in Saskatchewan are not yet available for testing at home.
People using drugs can access the strips at Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon and Newo Yotina Friendship Centre in Regina.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.