Time is running out for Kitchener, Ont. drug-testing machine

An advanced drug-checking machine at the consumption and treatment services (CTS) site in Kitchener, Ont. has had a successful first year, but its future remains uncertain.

Before the powerful black box came along, Ralph Schmidt was becoming increasingly worried about the contents of street drugs in Waterloo Region.

“It was getting really bad. I was losing friends like every week,” he said. “With this, it’s slowed down quite a bit.”

The device uses sophisticated technology to identify what is in street drugs.

As a peer support worker, Schmidt helps users test what fillers or other substances could be in their supply.

So far, the machine has analyzed 2,035 samples and counting.

“That’s 2,000 people that might not be here if it weren’t for the machine,” he said.

It has even helped Schmidt with decisions for his own use.

“We’ve tested samples with strychnine and arsenic. Those things are lethal in any dose,” he explained.

But now the clock is ticking.

Federal funding for the pilot project has been cut off just as the Sanguen Health Centre celebrates the first anniversary of the program.

With no new money coming in to keep it running, staff now have a clearer picture of when it could be powered down – by December 2024.

The program’s drug-checking lead said if the money runs out and the machine powers down there will be an immediate impact because people who sell drugs have been using it too.

“People make it known that they do have a conscience,” said Leigh Wardlaw. “You don’t want to be putting stuff out there that’s potentially going to cause a lethal drug poisoning.”

The Sanguen Health Centre is now turning to the community for donations or partnerships to keep the testing going.

“This machine makes a difference and, without it, there’s going to be more fatalities and deaths,” said Schmidt.

The team is hopeful that with a little help, they will be able to celebrate the machine’s second anniversary next year.

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)

A year in review

In its first year, the drug-checking program tested a significant number of substances:

• Fentanyl: 1,452 samples
• Methamphetamines: 308 samples
• Crack/Cocaine: 210 samples
• MDMA: 49 samples
• Ketamine: 16 samples

Additionally, clients volunteered 456 samples for further testing, contributing to the broader Scatr Inc. database, which has grown from this initiative. The data is used to understand trends and inform community alerts.

Monthly visits

The program has also seen a steady increase in visits since its inception:

• August 2023: 88 visits
• September 2023: 124 visits
• October 2023: 184 visits
• November 2023: 199 visits
• December 2023: 251 visits
• January 2024: 208 visits
• February 2024: 195 visits
• March 2024: 281 visits
• April 2024: 299 visits
• May 2024: 213 visits
• June 2024: 174 visits

Making decisions

After getting the results of testing, clients decide what they’ll do with the substance now that they know its contents. Here’s how people responded, according to data collected from Sanguen Health Centre:

• Lower the dosage: 28.5%
• Not consume or discard: 28.8%
• Make no change: 33.9%
• Don't know or haven't decided: 6.3%
• Increase dose: 2.6%