Fentanyl Test Strips
To both be proactive in our public health preventative efforts at Hamilton College and to follow the best practices in college health, Hamilton College will work to make FTS available for campus community members to take and use. FTS will be located in:
- Narcan cabinets located in each residence hall
- Student Health Center, upon request at the front desk
- Counseling Center, upon request at the front desk
More information and instructions about how to use fentanyl test strips can be found in this video.
Fentanyl Test Strip FAQs
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug. It is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. It may cause confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, euphoria, nausea, vomiting, pain relief, pupillary constriction, relaxation, respiratory depression, sedation, and urinary retention. It may be sold alone, but is more often found mixed with other drugs like heroin, cocaine, or manufactured pills. Typically, fentanyl has not been found in weed/cannabis. It can be taken orally, injected, snorted, smoked, or spiked onto blotter paper. In addition to fentanyl, other opioids include heroin, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, and oxycodone.
Fentanyl is more potent (powerful) than many other opioid drugs. Even a small amount can cause a fatal overdose. That can even happen when a person takes fentanyl without knowing it, or if it was added to counterfeit prescription pills or other illegal drugs. Using fentanyl test strips can reduce the risk of using drugs that contain fentanyl.
According to New York state health officials, there have been no verified incidents of fentanyl-laced cannabis in the state's regulated market. There is no guarantee that any unregulated cannabis product is free from contaminants or harmful ingredients.
To prevent death from opioid overdose, fentanyl test strips (FTS) are an important tool. These test strips are used to detect the presence of fentanyl in different kinds of drugs and drug formulations.
FTS are helpful, but they are not foolproof. They may not work well when large amounts of methamphetamines, MDMA, or diphenhydramine are present. They do not differentiate between fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, so in some instances, they may fail to work as anticipated. In addition, they cannot determine how much fentanyl is present, but rather only that a sample contains fentanyl.
Despite their potential limitations, FTS remains an important strategy for harm reduction. Providing easy access to FTS to individuals who may choose to engage in opioid drug use is part of a larger campus harm reduction strategy.
Be sure to follow the instructions included with your FTS kit, as the process may differ from below.
- Check the expiration date for your test strip kit. If it has expired, discard it and get a new one.
- Take a sample of the drug (about the same size as a grain of rice) and mix it with one teaspoon of water.
- While holding the solid colored end of the test strip, dip the end with the wavy lines below the downward-pointing arrows into the water for 15 seconds.
- Remove the test strip from the water and lay it on a flat surface.
- Wait two minutes to read the results.
One line on the right side: POSITIVE
- Discard the drugs immediately for your safety.
Two lines: NEGATIVE
- Caution: No test is 100% accurate.
No lines, or a single line on the left-hand side: INVALID
- Retest with a new test kit.
More information and instructions about how to use fentanyl test strips can be found in this video.
Contact
Contact Name
Health Center
Phone: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Phone: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Phone: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Phone: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Phone: 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.; 1 - 4:30 p.m.
(closed from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on the first Thursday)
