SEATTLE — The Washington Department of Health expects to purchase 75,000 fentanyl testing strips this fiscal year. A spokesperson says the department plans to distribute the strips to syringe service program partners so they can distribute them to participants.
A recent law that clarified what constitutes drug paraphernalia could make more agencies comfortable doing the same.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fentanyl test strips offer a low-cost way to prevent drug overdoses and reduce harm. People can place the strip in different kinds of drugs and different drug forms to learn if they are laced with fentanyl, which can be much stronger, more dangerous and have a much different effect than the drug someone thought they were taking.
Fentanyl has become a leading cause of overdose deaths in King County.
Peer Washington has already been distributing the strips through free vending machines at its Peer Kent and Peer Seattle locations. Christopher Archiopoli, director of Peer Seattle, says it's a frequently used tool that serves as one piece of the puzzle.
"A lot of times the challenge is that people don't know they're using fentanyl," Archipoli said. "People that are actively seeking it out understand that's what they're using. The biggest challenge is when people are using stimulants and [fentanyl is] present in the stimulants, like cocaine or methamphetamine, and so when fentanyl is in those things, people are expecting one result and getting something completely different."
Peer Washington offers peer recovery support services for substance use disorders and also for behavioral health conditions and chronic health conditions. Archiopoli says he believes societal change is key to truly helping people impacted by drugs in a negative way.
"Making sure people have access to resources and employment, but on a broader level, I think that as a society, we need to stop looking at people who are unhoused, who are living with substance use disorder, as less than," Archipoli said. "I think in our communities we tend to dehumanize people, and when you don't feel welcome in a community, you don't have feelings of self-worth, you don't know recovery is possible."
The vending machines also have nasal and intramuscular naloxone and occasionally other items as well. To learn more about Peer Washington or find a location near you, click here.