Drug-testing device in Kitchener could soon be powered down

A drug-testing device in Kitchener could soon be powered down because funding is running out.

The machine arrived at the consumption and treatment services (CTS) site on Duke Street in August thanks to federal funding and a pilot project aimed at limiting drug poisonings and cleaning up supply.

The device has learned a lot since its arrival.

“We used to get a lot of unknowns at the beginning of this project,” said peer support worker Ralph Schmidt. “It’s now able to pick up more substance with each light strike.”

Schmidt has benefitted from the device as well.

“It’s gotten me to reduce the amount I’ve used on some of the stuff I’ve gotten,” he said.

Sophisticated technology inside the black cube-shaped device analyzes the composition of street drugs to determine what dangerous fillers and other drugs might be in the sample.

The drug-testing device at the CTS site in Kitchener (left) is one of 11 of its kind in use across Canada. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener)

“We found some pretty toxic stuff in the dope, especially with xylazine being out there now,” Schmidt said. “We had one test where it was 100 per cent xylazine. There is no Narcan for it so it’s a scary thing.”

It’s why the device is needed more than ever. But the ground-breaking machine could soon be out of operation.

“As March approaches, we are running out of funding,” said drug-checking lead Leigh Wardlaw.

By March 30, 2024, money for the project will be cut off and the program will not be able to continue without sufficient funds.

It’s worrisome for those running the program because they’ve seen a difference in people’s consumption habits with 990 tests completed to date.

“19.5 per cent had lowered their dose after learning what was in their substance. And 22 per cent did not consume the drug after they found what was in their stuff,” said Wardlaw.

For Schmidt, it hits close to home, knowing the device can save his own life too. He wishes he had access to it sooner.

“Well I’ve used Narcan 40 times. And those 40 times, if I had a machine like this, it probably wouldn’t have happened,” he said.

With time ticking, there is hope that they can keep using the device, especially with so many people relying on it.

“To see it go away after we put so much effort into it, it would be a bloody shame,” Schmidt said.