The Trump administration has reversed federal support for fentanyl test strips, ending funding for the overdose prevention tool that has been widely distributed since 2021. On Friday afternoon, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sent a letter to state health departments and grant recipients across the country, saying that the government would no longer pay for the strips because they are “intended for use by people using drugs.”
A Common Overdose Prevention Tool
The strips—simple pieces of treated paper that can swiftly signal whether a street drug contains deadly fentanyl or other contaminants—have become common at college campuses, music festivals, and community clinics. The federal government championed test strips beginning in 2021 and paid to supply them to states. The Trump administration publicly embraced this position as recently as July, prior to announcing the funding termination.
The reversal marks a significant policy shift, as the strips have become a standard harm reduction tool used by public health agencies to help prevent overdose deaths.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/admin-2/