One thing you can do today: save a life with this free little tool

Drug test strips can fit in your pocket, are totally legal and can benefit anyone who is around drugs, but not everyone knows about them.

If you haven’t used a drug test strip, you’ve seen them: the little sticks that look like thin tabs of paper. Once inserted into a small amount of your drug supply mixed with a little water, they can identify specific substances within the sample.

The P.A. Groundhogs have released a study to share how effective these test strips can be, and why more of us should have them around.

The P.A. Groundhogs are an organization in Pennsylvania that collects drug samples to test the composition of recreational drugs, and changes in supply at large. If they notice a change, they send out safety warnings. Anyone can order one of their kits.

Their study highlights the usefulness of personal drug testing by matching test strip information to their own lab tests. Between November 2023 and April 2026, they received 1,434 drug samples, of which 199 had test strip data from fentanyl, xylazine, benzodiazepine strips, which were discontinued in 2024 and medetomidine strips, introduced in 2025.

Drug samples that came with negative fentanyl test strip results were confirmed by the P.A. Groundhogs lab to be fentanyl-free. Xylazine strips did not perform as well, with a flaw thought to be caused by medetomidine and even Benadryl cross-reactivity. 

Carter Graves of the P.A. Groundhogs says that sometimes drugs they receive can have upwards of ten substances in one sample, and a false positive can still be helpful if it encourages people to act cautiously.

“Some people want to contribute to our research,” they said about why someone should send samples. Others might be concerned about consent: they are agreeing to take one substance, not others that might be mixed in. And every bit they receive helps them understand how to fight overdoses. 

Even though that's just 13.9% of samples sent to the P.A. Groundhogs with test strip data, overall test strip usage is up. But it’s still worth it to Graves to use these strips as much as possible, even with usage flaws and false positives. “It’s a life saved with every strip,” they said. "If you know anybody who can use these, they can prevent them from having to use Narcan."

Graves says that there's a knowledge gap at work here. Cities make Narcan and test strips available, but don't teach people how to use them. The instructions might also be inconsistent, depending on the brand of test strip. And results also vary by brand. "We expect people to figure it out," they said.

How you can help.

Harm reduction groups tend to have a free supply of testing strips on them. The Platia leaves testing strips at Maisy’s Meeting House in Old City and South Street Art Mart in Queen Village. We also have strips on Fridays at Mifflin Square Park at the free food picnic with Food Not Bombs and Punks With Lunch. The Everywhere Project and Prevention Point have test strips in Kensington, and these groups will give you hands-on training. Then you can carry some with you to give out in your own community.

If you're going into recovery, or know someone that is, consider donating the rest of your supply to be tested, and submit your own test strip data. Every sample sent to the P.A. Groundhogs helps them understand how to help people.

Have conversations about test strips. We can only destigmatize drug testing by speaking about it. Whether you know an infrequent drug user, go to parties, or just hang around in different communities, it’s helpful to have this item on you in case anyone needs it. 

Join Dr. Marya Lieberman from Notre Dame at virtual drop-in hours twice monthly on the first and third Fridays of the month to learn more about test strip usage and ask any questions from the lab that manages much of the research around these strips.

Donate to groups that hand out all the tools needed to test samples, or if you have your own space, include those items with test strips. That includes measuring cups, spoons and instructions printed on thicker paper, which give someone a tool to crush the drugs with.  The easier it is to use test strips, the more people will use them, and the more we will know about keeping people alive.