Sudbury’s supervised consumption site, The Spot, has acquired a drug analysis device able to provide real time drug-checking services, allowing people who use drugs to test their substances for toxicity, or unintended adulterants.
Amplifi ID Drug Analysis System produces results in approximately 10 minutes and can detect fentanyl, carfentanil, benzodiazepines, xylazine, cocaine, methamphetamines and MDMA, among other substances. Only a small amount, about 5 mg, is needed to generate the result.
“The team at The Spot is excited to begin offering this service to the drug-using community.” said Amber Fritz, Manager of Supervised Consumption Services.
“Purchasing drugs from an unregulated market prevents people from knowing what they’re consuming. Utilizing drug checking services provides potentially life-saving knowledge to the individual and their peers.”
Drug checking is an evidence-based harm reduction tool that generates data to identify local trends and increased toxicity, reads a release from The Spot. It will support drug warnings or alerts with information specific to this region.
This service is available to anyone wishing to have their substances checked. The drugs do not have to be consumed at the supervised consumption site to access the service. However, those who consume by injection, oral, or nasal routes of administration are welcome to use the consumption room.
The drug checking service offered at the supervised consumption site is confidential, anonymous, free of charge, and is provided in a non-judgmental, supportive environment. Trained staff conducting the drug checking explain the process step-by-step, provide an in-depth interpretation of the results and discuss the potential risks associated with the results.
The Spot is located at 24 Energy Court, and service is available Monday, and Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Anyone who is interested in accessing the service can do so during the hours of operation and indicate that they would like to have their drugs checked. A brief intake is conducted, however no personal information will be requested.
“With the increasingly toxic unregulated drug supply, the addition of advanced drug checking services allows people to have a better understanding of what they’re consuming,” reads the release. “People who use regulated drugs, such as alcohol or cannabis, can make informed decisions about what they consume. Drug checking services, in lieu of regulation, provide people who use unregulated drugs with the same privilege.”
