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Fentanyl test strips are no longer classified as illegal drug paraphernalia in Pennsylvania, a development aimed at reducing the disease burden in the state.
Possession of past test papers may result in criminal penalties. By criminalizing them, drug users will know if the substances they are taking are laced with fentanyl, which is deadly even in small amounts. Last year, fentanyl was involved in 78% of the 5,343 overdose deaths recorded in Pennsylvania.
“Fentanyl cannot be detected by sight, taste or smell,” said Jen Smith, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drugs and Alcohol. “If a drug is tested with a fentanyl test strip, no one can tell if it’s laced with fentanyl.”
The new law, signed Thursday by Gov. Tom Wolf, was introduced last year by State Representative Jim Struzzi, a Republican from Indiana County. It was approved by the state legislature.
“This regulation is a huge victory in the crime reduction area, and people can be more aware of the amount of fentanyl in our medical supply – this little piece of paper could save their life,” said Smith.
Fentanyl, which is more potent than heroin, has become the top opioid in Pennsylvania, according to a separate report released by the Attorney General’s Office in May. Last year, the state Bureau of Narcotics seized twice as much fentanyl as heroin. In the first months of 2022, the ratio increased to 40 to 1.
The drug has contributed to the rise in serious illnesses seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. Overdose deaths increased by 16.4% in 2020 and will jump by 6% in 2021.
In Philadelphia, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic, the number of used syringes collected by the Prevention Point syringe service program exceeded new ones distributed for the first time. According to the leaders of the non-profit project this points to the increasing use of opioids, more than 10 million syringes have been collected in 12 months.
The city recorded 1,276 serious deaths last year, up from 1,214 in 2020. Fentanyl was found in 77% of all serious deaths, while the drug was in 94% of opioid addicts.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh previously banned the possession and distribution of fentanyl test strips. Philly Mayor Jim Kenney did so in August 2021 through an executive order aimed at increasing the amount of fentanyl contained in the drug supply.
“We have nothing to gain by punishing the distribution and use of fentanyl test strips, which are designed to help people assess and reduce the risk of overdose,” Kenney said. time. “Fentanyl is a recovery tool that encourages people to find, use and share with others.”
In Pittsburgh, Mayor William Peduto followed suit that same month, signing an order banning arrests for the use and distribution of fentanyl test strips. Peduto said fentanyl was found in 77% of overdose deaths in Allegheny County in 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic is hard on those affected by addiction, and prolonged loneliness increases substance use.
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