UTSAM Urges Governor Cox to Sign Bill Decriminalizing Fentanyl Test Strips

On February 17th, the Utah Society of Addiction Medicine (UTSAM) sent a letter to Governor Spencer Cox urging him to sign SB 86 into law. This bill would remove fentanyl test strips (FTS) and other testing equipment from drug paraphernalia classification under state law and allow healthcare facilities, substance use harm reduction services programs, and drug addiction treatment facilities to temporarily possess controlled substances to test for their safety.

In the letter, UTSAM highlighted that fentanyl test strips are a critical tool to address to the overdose epidemic. These accessible and inexpensive tests that can be used to detect the presence of fentanyl with high accuracy. UTSAM cited research indicating that the use of fentanyl test strips is associated with positive changes in usage behavior and desire to seek treatment. Additionally, UTSAM emphasized the importance of allowing certified programs to easily obtain testing supplies and quickly conduct analyses of pre-obtained drugs. These analyses can save lives and help connect people who use drugs to treatment.

Read the letter here.