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In the fentanyl epidemic of the country, more states have legalized drug test strips, but they are not without controversy.
In more than half of the country, fentanyl test strips are considered illegal drug-related equipment. Possession of test strips can lead to fines or imprisonment in many states, although the enforcement method is different.
Ohio lawmakers are currently considering legislation to non-criminalize the fentanyl test strip.
On May 19, Congressman Christine Boggs testified in front of the House Criminal Judiciary Committee in support of the House Building 456, which was first introduced in October 2021.
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If the bill is enacted, Ohio will join the growing list of states that denounce the use of fentanyl test strips as drugs continue to cause havoc.
Governor of New Mexico and Wisconsin signed bills this year to allow test strips in these states, and Tennessee and Alabama parliaments recently passed similar legislation.
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Many public health and addiction professionals use rapid testing equipment as a “harm reduction” tactic to prevent death from overdose due to illegal drugs that users may not know they are contaminated with fentanyl. Is being advertised.
Test strips are cheap and cost about $ 1. Drug users can take a small amount of the substance, add water, and soak the strip in the solution for a short time. If you see one red stripe on the strip, you have fentanyl. The two stripes mean that the drug cannot be found.
The disadvantage is that the test strip does not measure the amount of fentanyl in the drug.
Still, according to Brown University epidemiologist Brandon Marshall, strips are effective in detecting “very small amounts of fentanyl.”
Although there is evidence that fentanyl test strips may lead to safer drug behavior, there are still barriers to access. Specifically, there is confusion about where testing is legal.
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According to a recent legal review published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, owning a fentanyl test strip in 22 states is clearly legal. In 14 states where drug testing equipment is not clearly legal, reviews have shown that the equipment is legal when obtained from the syringe service program.
In April 2021, the Biden administration lifted restrictions on the use of federal grants to purchase fentanyl test strips.