JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Overdose deaths continue to reach new records in New York City and nationwide, largely driven by adulterants such as fentanyl and xylazine in the illicit drug supply. Unknowingly consuming adulterated substances can dramatically increase risks of overdose and other health problems. Although test strips enable people to check drugs for adulterants prior to consumption, and are often available free of charge, many people who use drugs decline to use them.

Objective:

We sought to better understand why people in the New York City area do, or do not, test drugs before use. We plan to use study findings to inform the development of technology-based interventions to encourage consistent drug checking.

Methods:

Team members who have experience working with people who use drugs conducted 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of people who reported illicit drug use within the past 90 days. An interview guide examined participants’ knowledge of, and experience with adulterants including fentanyl, xylazine, and benzodiazepines; using drug testing strips; and whether they had ever received harm reduction services. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for emerging themes.

Results:

Most participants lacked knowledge of adulterants, and only a few reported regularly testing drugs. Reasons for not testing drugs included lacking convenient access to test supplies, or a place to test them out of the public’s view, as well as time considerations. Some participants also reported a strong belief that they were not at risk from fentanyl or other adulterants because they exclusively used cocaine/crack, or were confident that the people they bought drugs from would not sell them adulterated substances. Those who did report testing their drugs described positive interactions with harm reduction agency staff.

Conclusions:

New forms of outreach are needed not only to increase people’s knowledge of adulterated substances and awareness of the increasing risks they pose, but also to encourage people who use drugs to regularly check their substances prior to use. This includes new intervention messages that highlight the importance of drug checking in the context of a rapidly changing and volatile drug supply. This messaging can potentially help normalize drug checking as an easily enacted behavior that benefits public health. To increase effectiveness, messages can be developed with, and outreach can be conducted by, trusted community members. Pairing this messaging with access to no-cost drug checking supplies may help address the ongoing spiral of increased overdose deaths nationwide.