Fentanyl test strips can prevent overdoses. Stanislaus County is giving out kits for free
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Fentanyl Crisis in Stanislaus County
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Fentanyl is the “main issue” in Stanislaus County right now, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse would argue. The county ranks 15th among the 58 California counties for the highest number of overdoses in 2022.
To help combat the fentanyl and opioid epidemic in the region, Stanislaus County is making opioid overdose prevention kits accessible to those who may need them.
Fentanyl testing strips are in these kits, and are also available for free or low cost elsewhere. The strips are shown to be accurate at detecting the synthetic opioid.
Here’s where you can find fentanyl testing strips in Stanislaus County, and how to use them:
Stanislaus County provides free fentanyl testing strips
Fentanyl test strips originally were developed for urinalysis but have been found to also be effective at detecting the presence of fentanyl in drug samples prior to ingestion, according to the California Department of Public Health.
A 2018 study found the test strips were accurate at detecting fentanyl when it was present in samples of street drugs provided by law enforcement and are unlikely to produce false negative results, according to the department.
Stanislaus County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services provides free opioid overdose prevention kits, which contain a pack of fentanyl testing strips. The kits are available at the agency’s office at 800 Scenic Drive, Modesto.
These testing strips can also be ordered online through several companies, including BTNX and Dance Safe.
How testing strips work to detect fentanyl in drugs
To test for the presence of fentanyl, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 10 mg of the drug should be prepared in a clean, dry container.
Add a half teaspoon of water to the drug sample in the container. Because the test strips are highly sensitive, a minimal amount of drug residue is sufficient to obtain a result, according to the department of public health.
Dip the end of the test strip in the water for 15 seconds and then check the strip two to five minutes after placing it on a flat surface.
If the test shows two lines, no fentanyl is detected in the drug. One line means the drug contains fentanyl.
Drugs that can be tested with the strips include opioids, benzos, methamphetamine, crack cocaine and other street drugs, according to the department.
Are there downsides to the testing strips?
While extremely accurate, fentanyl testing strips do not measure the amount, or the potency, of fentanyl present in a drug sample, according to the department of public health.
Fentanyl might not be everywhere in your drugs and your test could miss it, according to the CDC.
The sensitivity of the strips can also cause them to detect fentanyl in drugs that were incidentally contaminated by different drugs being packaged in the same area. These amounts would not represent a clinically significant quantity of fentanyl, according to the department.
When methamphetamine is tested, about half a cup of water should be used to dilute it to produce accurate results, the department says. This is because the testing strips may be cross-reactive with methamphetamine.
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 10:48 AM.
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