Just $5 test strips that promise to detect the powerful painkiller fentanyl could be the key to preventing fatal overdoses. Stacey Felter lost her son Tristan over a year ago. He was only 27 years old. “It could light up a room 100 percent,” Felter said. “He loved making people laugh, but he was the funniest person I ever met.” An injury led to him seeking medical treatment and later resorting to the painkillers he had originally been prescribed but could no longer obtain. “He would occasionally buy from the drug dealer,” Felter said. A pill containing fentanyl ended his life. “Out of 10 pills that they confiscated, they contained a lethal dose of fentanyl,” Dr. Thomas Hall said. In March, the Orange County Office for a Drug-Free Community teamed up to use money from the National Opioid Settlement to distribute fentanyl test strips in the community. A total of 6,000 were distributed in just eight weeks. “We don’t encourage drug use, but for people who use drugs, we want to give them alternatives to death,” Hall said. The Opioid Project is part of the program. “We need to make sure our young people have every tool available to stay alive,” Andrae Bailey said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers fentanyl test strips a harm reduction strategy, with steps on how to use them while writing. “Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are an inexpensive method to help prevent drug overdoses and reduce harm,” according to the CDC. Although nasal spray treatments for overdoses exist, fentanyl test strips have only recently become available. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma chairs the state’s opioid task force and suggests the use of test strips should be measured by the person’s ability to perform the test and the amount if tiny which can be fatal. “Anything we can do to save lives, I think is the most important thing we can do,” Lemma said. “Fifty times more potent than heroin, the equivalent of eight grains of salt, is a lethal dose.” Tristan’s mother points out that counterfeit pills are not produced by pharmacies but illegally for profit. Even two sides of the same pill could be tested differently. “What if half of it didn’t appear to be fentanyl, but the other side was pressed with fentanyl? I’m just saying, don’t take it, period,” Felter said. Even proponents of test strips agree that the strips only reduce risk, not eliminate it. ” Hall said. Tristan’s mother doesn’t know if her son would have used the strips if they had been available, because he trusted his source. “Don’t take anything that hasn’t been prescribed by your doctor.” said Felter. Of course, not taking illegal drugs is the ultimate answer. Test strips can be purchased online.
Test strips as low as $5 promising to detect the powerful painkiller fentanyl could be the key to preventing fatal overdoses.
Stacey Felter lost her son Tristan over a year ago. He was only 27 years old.
“It could light up a room 100 percent,” Felter said. “He loved making people laugh, but he was the funniest person I ever met.”
An injury led him to seek medical treatment and then resort to the painkillers he was originally prescribed but could no longer obtain.
“He would occasionally buy from the drug dealer,” Felter said.
A pill containing fentanyl ended his life.
“Out of every 10 pills they confiscate, they contain a lethal dose of fentanyl,” Dr. Thomas Hall said.
In March, the Orange County Office of a Drug-Free Community teamed up to use money from the National Opioid Settlement to distribute fentanyl test strips in the community.
A total of 6,000 copies were distributed in just eight weeks.
“We don’t encourage drug use, but we want to give people who use drugs alternatives to death,” Hall said.
The Opioid Project is part of the program.
“We need to make sure our young people have all the tools they need to stay alive,” Andrae Bailey said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers fentanyl test strips a harm reduction strategy, with steps on how to use them while writing.
“Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are an inexpensive method to help prevent drug overdoses and reduce harm,” according to the CDC.
While nasal spray treatments for overdoses exist, Fentanyl test strips have only recently become available.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma chairs the state’s opioid task force and suggests the use of test strips should be measured by the person’s ability to perform the test and the amount if tiny which can be fatal.
“Anything we can do to save lives, I think that’s the most important thing we can do,” Lemma said. “Fifty times more potent than heroin, the equivalent of eight grains of salt, constitutes a lethal dose.”
Tristan’s mother points out that counterfeit pills are not produced by pharmacies but illegally for profit. Even two sides of the same pill could be tested differently.
“What if half of it doesn’t show up as fentanyl, but the other side is pressed with fentanyl? I just say, don’t take it, period,” Felter said.
Even test strip advocates agree that the strips only reduce the risk, not eliminate it.
“You don’t know where the fentanyl is in the pill; it’s not like it’s distributed equally; we don’t have pharmacists compounding these pills,” Hall said.
Tristan’s mother doesn’t know if her son would have used the strips if they had been available, because he trusted his source.
“Don’t take anything that hasn’t been prescribed to you by your doctor,” Felter said.
Of course, the ultimate solution is to not use illegal drugs. Test strips can be purchased online.
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