On September 16, October 14 and October 28 from 1–6 p.m., students can test their drugs at no charge in room 1501 in the Life Building, UBC announced.
Students can anonymously get any substance tested for contaminants using FTIR spectrometers and fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl test strips will be available for students to take away as well, said Amanda Unruh, UBC health promotion specialist, in an email to The Ubyssey.
Fentanyl test strip results take one minute, and FTIR spectrometer results take 10–15 minutes.
Testing is being provided by Get Your Drugs Tested, a private, free drug testing organization based in Vancouver.
Naloxone kits, which can be used to reverse the effects of an overdose, will also be available for free. Naloxone kits can also be found at Student Health Services and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Fentanyl test strips cannot detect all types of fentanyl, like carfentanil, so even if the test strip comes back negative, you should never use substances alone and have naloxone on hand in case of an overdose.
To get an up to date look at contaminants in drug supply, Get Your Drugs Tested publishes test results and alerts on its website. Substances should be tested if they could be laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid around 50 times stronger than heroin. Large quantities of fentanyl can lead to an overdose faster than other substances.
More information about harm reduction efforts on campus can be found on UBC Student Services’ website.