Britain’s first regular drug testing service will open in Bristol on Saturday with a Home Office permit, marking a significant progressive shift in government policy.
The tests allow people who are frequent or dependent users of drugs, including heroin, crack, benzos and spice, to check that they are not contaminated with harmful cutting agents, or adulterated with powerful synthetic opioids such as nitazines or fentanyl.
The free and confidential service will initially operate once a month and will be provided by drug testing charity The Loop, in partnership with drug and alcohol services charity Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) and Bristol City Council, who provides the financing.
People who use drugs will be able to hand in small amounts into an amnesty bin at BDP headquarters in central Bristol. The contents and strength of the drug are chemically tested in a mobile laboratory. Service users return approximately an hour later for individually tailored harm reduction consultations with healthcare professionals.
No drugs will be returned and local harm reduction alerts will be issued if dangerous drugs are detected. The aim is to reduce the consumption of dangerous and powerful drugs and thus reduce the risk of poisoning and overdose, while referring service users to local treatment and healthcare services.
“This is a landmark moment for harm reduction,” said Prof. Fiona Measham, the founder of The Loop and chair in criminology at the University of Liverpool. It followed twelve years of preparations, reviews and negotiations with stakeholders including the Home Office, during which time The Loop, with the consent of local authorities and police, carried out testing at a number of music festivals and demonstrated the public health benefits.
“With more cities soon to follow, this launch represents the start of a new era for drug control and could not come at a more important time,” Measham added. “The risks of adulteration of the illicit drug market have never been greater.”
There were almost 5,000 drug-related deaths in 2022, the highest level since records began, and there have been warnings that heroin is increasingly being tapered off with synthetic opioids such as nitazenes, with dozens of deaths linked to these powerful drugs confirmed last year . . There are fears that these deaths are just the tip of the iceberg – and drug testing would reveal the presence of such substances.
Ellie King, Bristol City Council’s lead for public health, said a public health approach to drugs policy puts people’s wellbeing first and is designed to help save lives. If there is demand, the service can be expanded and made available more often.
“As the first city in Britain to have a regular drug screening service in the heart of the city, we will be able to provide communities with access to factual, scientific, evidence-based information about drugs they may be consuming that are at risk. circulation throughout the wider city,” she said.
The rollout of the service was delayed by almost two years. The Loop was granted a Home Office license for regular drug testing in March 2022 and the Bristol city center facility was ready to launch but was postponed by the council at the last minute. The license does not allow non-addicted drug users to receive advice about the content of so-called party drugs such as MDMA.
There is evidence that The Loop’s consultations with service users lead to them using drugs responsibly. Research at festivals where the charity has offered its facilities shows that the number of on-site drug-related incidents and hospital admissions has decreased.
“The government can help save lives by reducing the risk of poisoning and overdoses from counterfeit or mismarketed illicit drugs,” said Steve Rolles, senior drug policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation. “The need for drug monitoring is becoming increasingly urgent in Britain due to the growing threat from powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazines.”
Drug control services have been active in cities in Europe for forty years public health benefits. The opening of the service in Bristol will pave the way for cities in Scotland to move forward with plans to set up similar facilities. The Loop is also in discussions with a handful of councils in other English cities.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are clear: there is no safe way to use illegal drugs. This licence, which is issued under strict conditions, means that the most vulnerable people at risk of dying from their addiction can receive guidance and support to help them become drug-free, while providing vital information to local authorities and the police to help respond to dangerous drugs in circulation. .”