Drug Checking Program

Drug Checking Program
An Evidence-Informed Harm Reduction Initiative

Do You Know What’s In The Substance You Use?

We’re excited to share that Sanguen’s Drug Checking Program (DCP) is now fully operational following a federal exemption from Health Canada. The program is based out of our new Drop-In Centre at 130 Victoria Street South, with on-site services available Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. We’re also hitting the road with our Mobile Drug Checking Program on Wednesdays and Thursdays, bringing testing directly into the community.

The DCP offers confidential testing for pills, powders, and solids to help people understand what’s in the street supply. We also provide harm reduction education, referrals, snacks — and most importantly, non-judgmental care and respect for people who use drugs.

No drugs are provided or consumed on-site.

For details or to connect, call or text (226) 789-1719.

Resources:

For fact sheets about the various substances and their analogs found in some test results click here

Guelph Drug Checking Options:

Click Here

Monday
130 Victoria St. South (Bramm Street entrance)

1pm – 8pm

Tuesday
130 Victoria St. South (Bramm Street entrance)

1pm – 8pm

Wednesday
Mobile With the Community Health Van

11:30am – 12:20pm
100 Victoria Street Encampment

12:30pm – 1:20pm
1470 Blockline Rd.

1:30pm – 3pm
Mayflower Motel

Thursday
Mobile With the Community Health Van

1:00pm – 2:00pm
A Better Tent City

5:00pm – 6:15pm
Weber Inn

6:30pm – 8:00pm
Ray of Hope

Friday
130 Victoria St. South (Bramm Street entrance)

1pm – 8pm

How Does The Testing Work?

In order to test, you only need a very small amount: 2mg, or the size of a half of a match head. Your sample is not affected through the testing process, so you get it back, unharmed, after the test.

You have the choice of a short scan or a longer (approximately 15 minute) scan that is more thorough. You will receive your results while you wait! The whole process is confidential.

Why Testing?

Testing provides people who use drugs a way to have more information about the substance they’re planning to use. When the machine tests your substance, the device can tell you the strength, what other kinds of drugs/substances may be present, as well as the cut used.

The overdose crisis has shown that there is a very toxic drug supply locally and that it is cut with an array of different drugs and chemical fillers that may add to the drugs’ toxicity.

For example, you may think you have purchased an opiate and not be aware that there are benzodiazepines or methamphetamines in it. Cocaine is also a common drug that can be laced with opiates or methamphetamines.

The drug checking device can inform you of many of the different substances that are in your sample.

Testing your drugs gives the power back to you! You can now make an informed decision about whether to use the drugs you have tested.

If your sample comes back with an unknown substance in it, you can choose to have us send it to Western University for further testing. This will help our software to learn these new, unknown substances, which in turn will make the drug testing machine more knowledgeable. This extra process will take roughly two weeks. Your name or identity will not be disclosed.

Please note: the device isn’t 100% accurate due to how unevenly dispersed your batch of substance might be. One sample from your batch may be different from another area of the same batch.

Substances that can be tested

Anything in powder, rock, crystalized, tablet or the inner contents of a capsule. We cannot test cannabis or liquid substances at this time.

Do You Know What’s In The Substance You Use?

How Does The Testing Work?

Why Testing?

Substances that can be tested

Your First Visit: What to Expect?

Waterloo:

Guelph