How to Check Your Drugs for Fentanyl
Dangers of Fentanyl-Laced Drugs
Fentanyl is a new addition to the opioid epidemic that has increased opioid overdose risk across the U.S. It was initially made to be a potent pain management prescription. However, it is now being manufactured illegally without any regulation on potency and is being found in almost every illegal drug. It is causing many unintentional drug overdose deaths and has thrown a wrench into the war on drugs.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate that can be easily produced in the lab or on the streets. It is less expensive than other opiates and is 100 times stronger than morphine. Even an amount the equivalent of a grain of sand is enough to cause an overdose. Many drug dealers are using it to cut a wide range of drugs to increase profits. Because it is being manufactured illegally, not all batches have the same potency, so drug dealers are putting unknown, even deadly amounts into drugs. Fentanyl has also been manufactured to look like other opiates, like Oxycodone pills.
The most significant danger is that most people do not know they are ingesting it. It has been found in all types of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA, and even weed. Users think they are taking the drugs they have been used to, unaware there are lethal amounts of Fentanyl, which causes them to overdose or have an overdose death accidentally.
Can You Test Your Drugs for Fentanyl?
There are fentanyl test kits available, which were strips created to detect Fentanyl in urine. Still, you can also use them to see whether a drug contains Fentanyl in just a few minutes. Each strip costs about a dollar, but some local health departments, needle exchange programs, and other community-based organizations may offer them for free. You can find them online at dancesafe.org and even on Amazon.
How to Use Fentanyl Test Strips
The best way to test your drugs is to dissolve the drugs you plan to use in water, then dip the fentanyl test strip into it for 15 seconds. The strips are highly sensitive and react to even a minimal drug residue. Then, set the strip on a flat surface, and the results should appear within five minutes. Do not use the test strips more than once. Pills and tablets should be crushed before mixing them in water.
Fentanyl Test Strip Results: What Do They Mean?
Once you’ve set your rapid Fentanyl test down and waited, results should be available after five minutes. A single pink/red line means the presence of Fentanyl or a similar synthetic opioid has been detected, or you have a positive test. A negative test will show two pink/red lines. It is important to remember that even though Fentanyl test strips are highly accurate, they are not 100% accurate, and your drugs may still contain Fentanyl, and there is a risk of overdosing. There is also a possibility the drug sample you tested did not have Fentanyl, but the rest of the substance does.
Prevent Fentanyl Overdose at Novo Detox
If you are using illegal drugs, you should also have Naloxone as part of your harm reduction practice, which is a medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is available at many pharmacies, and many harm community harm reduction programs give it out for free as well. The best way to prevent a fentanyl overdose is to abstain from drug abuse. You can recover from a substance abuse disorder through proper drug treatment centers. At Novo Detox, our inpatient treatment programs have helped many struggling with drug addiction and opioid use disorder. Please give us a call at (844) 834-1777 today to learn more about our opioid detox and drug detox programs.
