Topline:
L.A. County libraries are doing more to prevent fatal drug overdoses. The county system has already had a weekly naloxone clinic at 13 select libraries, but now they’re adding free fentanyl test strips to be given out during that time.
Why it matters: Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug used for pain relief — but it’s about 100 times more potent than morphine and often gets laced into street drug supplies. Test strips give people who use drugs more information before deciding if they’ll go ahead. Early data indicates California overdose deaths may be dropping, but with the crisis far from over, experts say these tests can help prevent more deaths.
How do the strips help? Fentanyl test strips are a tool used in harm reduction, a drug prevention approach that aims to meet people with addiction where they’re at. The strips allow people who use drugs to detect if their supply is laced with fentanyl in pills, powder, and injectables.
Should I carry them? Harm reduction experts say it’s helpful to carry them even if you don’t do drugs because they could end up being needed by other people. These strips can be carried by anyone, with no age minimum, in California and most other states.
Where can I find them? The strips are available at the libraries that have naloxone clinics, which run every Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. Here’s the full list of locations: