Drug Checking
Related topics: Harm reduction Mental health and substance use Substance use Vancouver mental health and substance use services
Drug checking is a harm reduction service that allows people to determine what is in their substances and potentially take action to reduce the risk of any associated harms.
In collaboration with community partners, free, anonymous drug-checking services are available in Vancouver and other communities across Vancouver Coastal Health.
Where to access drug checking services
You can test your substances in multiple ways, either through on-site or take-home fentanyl test strips or by visiting a technician using an FTIR Spectrometer. You can access drug-checking services at all overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites and through Get Your Drugs Tested in Vancouver or by mail.
What's in my Drugs? video - Learn more about what happens when a person goes to a drug-checking service.
Fentanyl test strip tutorial
Mia, a drug technician with Vancouver Coastal Health, shows us how to use fentanyl test strips at home.
Benzodiazepine test strip training
Mia, a drug technician with Vancouver Coastal Health, shows us how to use a benzo test strip correctly.
Resources
-
-
Fentanyl drug checking strip instructions
-
Drug checking with FTIR Spectrometer and Technician
The FTIR spectrometer is a device that is able to provide you with more detailed drug checking information than a fentanyl test strip. FTIR Technicians provide drug checking services st:
Insite at 139 East Hastings
- Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Closed on the weekend
Get Your Drugs Tested (GYDT) at 880 East Hastings
- Monday, Wednesday to Sunday: 12 - 8 p.m.
- Closed on Tuesday
- For more information, visit the Get Your Drugs Tested website
Get Your Drugs Tested (GYDT) at 245 W Broadway
- Tuesday to Friday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday
- For more information, visit the Get Your Drugs Tested website
Molson Overdose Prevention Site at 166 East Hastings Street – alley
Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Take-home fentanyl test strips
A fentanyl test strip helps to identify whether or not there is fentanyl in your drug. These strips are also labelled with 'how to instructions" for people to refer to. Please note: there are limited quantities of strips available per visit.
-
Vancouver
- ACT/AOT/Car 87
- Covenant House
- Foundry Vancouver
- Get Your Drugs Tested (website)
- Heatley Clinic
- HIM Health Centre on Davie St
- Insite - Supervised Consumption Site
- Mobile Access Project (MAP Van)
- Molson Overdose Prevention Site
- MOPU
- Musqueam Nation
- Overdose Prevention Society
- Overdose Outreach Team
- Raincity ACT Team
- Robert and Lily Lee Community Health Centre
- Sister Space
- Sister Square
- South Mental Health and Substance Use
- Thomus Donaghy OPS
- Three Bridges Community Health
- Tsleil Waututh Nation
- Yúustway Health Centre
-
Central Coast
-
Richmond
-
North Shore
-
Sea to Sky
-
Powell River
-
Sunshine Coast
- Gibsons Public Health
- Sechelt MHSU
- Sechelt OPS (parking lot)
Toxic drug and health alerts
Send and receive toxic drug and health alerts by text.
Toxic drug and health alerts is a free, real-time text messaging service for anyone to receive toxic drug alerts or share information about toxic drugs in their community. This service is anonymous.
People can get other information by text message, like where to find naloxone or how to get drugs tested.
Toxic drug and health alerts are currently available in Interior, Fraser, Northern, Vancouver, and Vancouver Coastal Health regions.
To sign up, text the word JOIN to 253787 (ALERTS).
See recent alerts on Towards the Heart.
Find this service near you
-
Drug Checking at Get Your Drugs Tested - Broadway
245 W Broadway Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Get Your Drugs Tested - Hastings Street
880 East Hastings Street Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Hope to Health
611 Powell street Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Insite
139 East Hastings Street Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Molson Overdose Prevention Site (MOPS)
166 East Hastings Street (Alley) Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Overdose Prevention Society (OPS)
141 East Hastings Street Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Overdose Prevention Society Inhalation Tent
141 East Hastings Street Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Powell Street Getaway
450 E Hastings St Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Sechelt Overdose Prevention Site
5653 Wharf Avenue (Parking lot) Vancouver -
Drug Checking at SisterSpace
135 Dunlevy Avenue Vancouver -
Drug Checking at Squamish Overdose Prevention Site
37930 Third Ave Squamish