The federal government will no longer help states pay for fentanyl test strips.

This was among several messages included in a “Dear Colleague” letter sent late last week by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to state health departments and federal grant recipients.

The decision, according to the letter, is consistent with the agency’s indication last year about its “… clear shift away from harm reduction and practices that facilitate illicit drug use…”  SAMHSA’s action reflects a view within the administration and Department of Health and Human Services that harm reduction efforts – like fentanyl test strips – may encourage illegal drug use.

Fentanyl test strips are inexpensive, small paper tests used to detect the presence of fentanyl or some of its components in illegal drugs.  They are designed to prevent accidental opioid overdoses by enabling people to check for the presence of fentanyl before consuming illegal substances.

Learn more about this change in federal policy from this SAMHSA letter to state health officials and federal grant recipients and from the New York Times article “U.S. Government Will Stop Paying for Test Strips to Detect Deadly Drugs” (subscription required).