Abbott had previously opposed legislation legalizing the test strips, but he cited a stunning 89% increase in fentanyl deaths in Texas the prior year.
in 2018 found that the strips could accurately detect fentanyl in drug residue. Soon after, California and Oregon were among the first states to provide their public health departments with free strips to distribute at needle exchanges.
When the strips first came on the scene, they were used to remove fentanyl entirely from the drug supply. But today that's not as true as it once was because fentanyl is now so prevalent, says Aaron Ferguson of Austin, TX, who advocates for safer drug use through the Urban Survivors Union. The organization hands out strips to people who are thought to be more likely to use some type of precaution to prevent against fentanyl overdose.
Because fentanyl is readily available and so potent, people from all walks of life are prone to overdose."If there's any silver lining, it's that views are shifting and we're finally seeing more acceptance of the test strips and other harm reduction methods that save lives," he says. Even as the strips become more widely decriminalized, they remain an imperfect solution.
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