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City checking: Piloting the UK's first community-based drug safety testing (drug checking) service in 2 city centres.

Measham, F. 

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2020; 86: 420– 428. doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14231

https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcp.14231

Kanada. Three years in: Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project working to save lives

Service for people using drugs provides anonynous checks for potency, presence of fentanyl. (nanaimobulletin.com, 05.07.2021)

https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/three-years-in-vancouver-island-drug-checking-project-working-to-save-lives/

Is expected substance type associated with timing of drug checking service utilization?: A cross-sectional study. 

Beaulieu, T., Wood, E., Tobias, S. et al.

Harm Reduct J 18, 66 (2021). doi.org/10.1186/s12954-021-00514-3

https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-021-00514-3

Research Adds to Weight of Evidence on People Checking Drugs They Sell

It’s not just people who use drugs making use of drug test kits and machines—people who also sell the substances can, and often do, check their wares for purity and potency. While the near-ubiquity of fentanyl in opioid supplies (besides others) has changed the drug-checking landscape, there’s still much value in accessing the harm reduction strategy, experts say. (Filter, USA, 30.06.2021)

https://filtermag.org/drug-selling-checking/

Neuseeland. Early warning system for dangerous drugs reaches online audience of more than a million in a year

An early warning system alerting people about dangerous drugs has reached an audience of more than a million people via social media since it was launched a year ago.

High Alert, operated by Drug Information and Alerts Aotearoa New Zealand (DIANZ) has issued ten public alerts about dangerous drugs including synthetic cannabinoids, benzodiazepines and a toxic chemical sold as MDMA. (Stuff, Neuseeland, 29.06.2021)

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125593125/early-warning-system-for-dangerous-drugs-reaches-online-audience-of-more-than-a-million-in-a-year

The potential impacts of community drug checking within the overdose crisis: qualitative study exploring the perspective of prospective service users. 

Wallace, B., van Roode, T., Pagan, F. et al. 

BMC Public Health 21, 1156 (2021). doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11243-4

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11243-4

Intentions, actions and outcomes: A follow up survey on harm reduction practices after using an English festival drug checking service. 

Measham F, Turnbull G. 

Int J Drug Policy. 2021 May 7:103270. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103270. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33972157.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395921001675

Drug checking service influences future behaviour, first ever follow up survey reveals

Professor Fiona Measham said: (…) “What we found is that, given the opportunity, drug users can be careful, considered and cautious, if they are provided with the necessary information.”

Co-author Dr Gavin Turnbull added: “Our findings show that not only does drug checking reduce harm at festivals, but that the information provided enables people to make longer lasting changes to reduce drug-related risks.” (University of Liverpool, UK, 10.05.2021)

https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2021/05/10/drug-checking-service-influences-future-behaviour-first-ever-follow-up-survey-reveals/

Implementing an integrated multi-technology platform for drug checking: Social, scientific, and technological considerations. 

Wallace B, Hills R, Rothwell J, Kumar D, Garber I, van Roode T, Larnder A, Pagan F, Aasen J, Weatherston J, Gozdzialski L, Ramsay M, Burek P, Azam MS, Pauly B, Storey MA, Hore D. 

Drug Test Anal. 2021 Apr;13(4):734-746. doi: 10.1002/dta.3022. Epub 2021 Mar 9. PMID: 33646611.

Abstract

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33646611/

Neuseeland. Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Act 2020

New Zealand Legislation, Public Act 2020 No 63, Date of assent 7 December 2020

https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0063/latest/LMS430928.html

Are Your Illegal Drugs Pure? New Zealand Will Check Them for You.

A law will allow controlled substances to be tested without penalty to ensure their authenticity. The goals are to reduce health risks and, perhaps, change users’ behavior. (New York Times, USA, 09.04.2021)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/world/asia/new-zealand-drugs-checks.html

 Neuseeland. Festival drug testing law to be made permanent, Health Minister Andrew Little says

The Government has given a permanent all-clear for pill testing at summer festivals, allowing partygoers to check whether their illicit drugs have been laced. (NZ Herald. Neuseeland, 09.04.2021)

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/festival-drug-testing-law-to-be-made-permanent-health-minister-andrew-little-says/2BJDVLT2GDSYAUR6E5NGKMCVCM/

Commentary - Heroin purity and adulteration: an updated snapshot from the Italian Early Warning System. 

Tittarelli R, di Luca NM, Pacifici R, Pichini S, Del Rio A, Busardò FP. 

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2020 Apr;24(8):4461-4466. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202004_21028. PMID: 32374014.

https://www.europeanreview.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/4461-4466.pdf

Drug Checking as Strategy for Harm Reduction in Recreational Contests: Evaluation of Two Different Drug Analysis Methodologies. 

Fregonese M, Albino A, Covino C, Gili A, Bacci M, Nicoletti A, Gambelunghe C.

Front Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 22;12:596895. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.596895. PMID: 33692707; PMCID: PMC7938318.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7938318/

Kanada. British Columbia: Free street drug testing site opens in Victoria storefront

Strip tests for fentanyl and benzodiazepines can yield results in minutes. (CBC News Canada, 23.03.2021)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/free-street-drug-testing-site-opens-in-victoria-storefront-1.5960029

Australien. Australia gathers data about testing drugs at music festivals

According to a new research study carried out by researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia, pill-testing services at Western Australian (WA) music festivals do not increase the likelihood of festival-goers taking drugs. The results of the study, published in Drug and Alcohol Review, demonstrate that the availability of pill testing services would not change festival participants’ intention to take ecstasy if they had not used the drug before, contrary to the common argument used by opponents of pill testing services. (DATAC - Drug and Alcohol Testing Association of Canada, Kanada, 23.03.2021)

https://datac.ca/australia-gathers-data-about-testing-drugs-at-music-festivals/

Could a drug‐checking service increase intention to use ecstasy at a festival?. 

Murphy, S., Bright, S.J. and Dear, G. (2021), 

Drug Alcohol Rev.. doi.org/10.1111/dar.13259

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dar.13259

Studie zu den Effekten der Drug-Checking-Angebote in der Schweiz

Bericht zuhanden des Bundesamts für Gesundheit (BAG)

Luzernund Olten, den 4.Dezember 2020

https://www.bag.admin.ch/dam/bag/de/dokumente/npp/forschungsberichte/forschungsberichte_drogen/studie_effekte_drug-checking.pdf.download.pdf/studie_effekte_drugchecking_2020.pdf

Litauen. First hand story: Drug checking in Lithuania

INTERVIEW WITH RŪTA MARCINKEVIČĖ, PROJECT MANAGER AT “YOUNG WAVE”|

(Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), Vilna/Litauen, 15.12.2020)

https://harmreductioneurasia.org/firsthand-story-drug-checking-in-lithuania/

Irland. Drug testing at music festivals will be ready to be rolled out by summer 2021

Junior Minister Frank Feighan says a working group has looked at the issues of drug testing and amnesty bins. (The Journal, Irland, 29.12.2020)

https://www.thejournal.ie/drug-testing-music-festival-5304888-Dec2020/

Synthetische Cannabinoide: Ergebnisse aus dem Drug-Checking der Stadt Zürich, Januar bis August 2020.

Informationen für Fachpersonen im Bereich Drogen und Schadensminderung

StadtZürich, Drogeninformationszentrum DIZ, 2020

https://saferparty.ch/tl_files/images/download/file/aktuelles%202020/Synthetische%20Cannabinoide%20Auswertung%20August%202020.pdf

"I couldn't live with killing one of my friends or anybody": A rapid ethnographic study of drug sellers' use of drug checking. 

Betsos A, Valleriani J, Boyd J, Bardwell G, Kerr T, McNeil R. 

Int J Drug Policy. 2020 Nov 24;87:102845. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102845. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33246303.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395920301869?via%3Dihub

Factors associated with drug checking service utilization among people who use drugs in a Canadian setting. 

Long, V., Arredondo, J., Ti, L. et al. 

Harm Reduct J 17, 100 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-020-00454-4

https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-020-00454-4

„Drug-Checking“ in Hamburg: Sicherheitsmaßnahme oder Freifahrtschein für Drogenkonsum? 

Die Ecstasy-Vergiftung einer 13-Jährigen aus Bramfeld sorgte für Entsetzen. Zusammen mit einer Freundin hatte sie auf einer Geburtstagsfeier Drogen ausprobiert und verlor wegen des Konsums beinahe ihr Leben. Nun unterstützt der Senat eine Gegenmaßnahme. (Morgenpost, 03.12.2020)

https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/-drug-checking--in-hamburg-sicherheitsmassnahme-oder-freifahrtschein-fuer-drogenkonsum--37749370

Schweiz. Konsum von psychoaktiven Substanzen in der Freizeit – Auswertung der Befragungen von Konsumierenden 2019 

InfodrogSchweizerische Koordinations-und Fachstelle Sucht

https://www.infodrog.ch/files/content/safernightlife_de/freizeitdrogenkonsum_reporting2020_de.pdf

Sicherer Rauschmittelkonsum: Hessen will Drogentests ermöglichen 

Das Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel blockiert bisher jeden Versuch für Drugchecking-Projekte. Hessen will seinen Versuch nun gerichtlich durchsetzen. (taz, 18.11.2020)

https://taz.de/Sicherer-Rauschmittelkonsum/!5725978/

Pill Testing Explained (Video)

Watch this video to learn more about pill testing. (DanceWize, Australien, 31.10.2020, Video, 06:06)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWjgsZ4lt-4&feature=youtu.be

Webinar. Toronto's Drug Checking Service: How we got here, how it works, and what we've learned so far = webinar

Nov 19, 2020 04:30 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada). People who use drugs in Toronto have long advocated for access to drug checking to reduce the harms associated with using drugs from the unregulated supply. After over one year of service availability, presenters will discuss the experience of implementing drug checking in Toronto, the model employed, and lessons learned | Department of Research and Academic Engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance, USA

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4eNXAegpSgKzygL8zMKQKw

Schweiz. Drog-Checking für Rauschhanf in Zürich

Das Drogeninformationszentrum DIZ bietet ab dem 01. Oktober 2020 zusätzlich zum bestehenden Angebot ein Cannabis-Drug-Checking an. Das Angebot ist kostenlos und anonym. (Stadt Zürich, Sozialdezernat, Drogeninformationszentrum, September 2020)

https://www.saferparty.ch/diz-cannabis.html

Kanada. What's in Toronto's drug supply?

Toronto’s drug checking service offers people who use drugs timely and detailed information on the contents of their drugs, helping them to make more informed decisions. (drugchecking.cdpe.org, September 2020)

https://drugchecking.cdpe.org/

  1. Patterns of ecstasy use amongst live music event attendees and their opinions on pill testing: a cross sectional study. 
  2. Wales. WEDINOS Annual Report 2019-20 
  3. Piloting the UK’s First Home-Office-Licensed Pharmacist-Led Drug Checking Service at a Community Substance Misuse Service. 
  4. Take-home Test Strips Allow Drug Users to Detect Fentanyl
  5. What is needed for implementing drug checking services in the context of the overdose crisis? A qualitative study to explore perspectives of potential service users.