Could at-home test strips prevent drug deaths? Experts say yes, but it’s complicated [Video]

Canadians are dying alone from toxic drugs and experts say easier access to at-home drug-testing strips could help prevent deaths. But they warn the strips have limitations.

Dr. Nash Denic, Newfoundland and Labrador’s chief medical examiner, says that though the strips aren’t perfect, they can be useful in detecting if some toxins are present. He would like to see a government-led pilot project to distribute the strips along with naloxone kits, which reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.

“There is a possibility that harm can be reduced. Especially if you’re a novice and you’re trying a different type of drug, you want to test it first,” Denic said in an interview, adding that if used properly, test strips “can save your life.”

Dr. Alexander Caudarella, chief executive officer of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, also sees a benefit in making test strips more available to people in their homes.

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