Alberta mobile drug checking service to be piloted in Calgary

A mobile drug checking pilot program is coming to Calgary, aimed at reducing poisonings in Alberta.

The Alberta Alliance Who Educates and Advocates Responsibility (AAWEAR) is leading the service, which will be led by people with lived or living experiences of drug use. The project, which is being funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program, will allow people to bring their drugs to the mobile unit to find out what is in their supply.

AAWEAR says just under 1,800 Albertans died of drug poisoning in 2021, and its new mobile drug-checking program will screen narcotics for toxins such as fentanyl.

The organization says this type of service doesn’t exist anywhere in the province but is being modelled after programs in cities like Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto.

“This project will also support shared tracking of drug toxicity in Alberta with community-based organizations, Alberta Health Services, Police Services, and Alberta Municipalities,” AAWEAR said.

The drug screening works by using a mobilized FTIR spectra machine to test small amounts of drugs to identify exactly which chemicals compose what is in a given sample.

“Many thanks to the leaders in our community who have taken their lived experiences to design and deliver a mobile drug-checking service to Calgarians using unregulated drugs, only the second of its kind in Canada,” Ward 11 councillor Kourtney Penner said. “Supporting individuals who use drugs with compassion is critical throughout the continuum of care. Having evidence and access to support the safe consumption of substances is vital to ensure the drug poisoning crisis is not causing unnecessary deaths.”

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Technical oversight and business community outreach will be managed by EACH+EVERY: Businesses for Harm Reduction, and office space, as well as a van specially fitted for the drug-checking service, will be provided by the Beltline Business Improvement Area.

Ward 8 councillor Courtney Walcott says of the 1,758 Albertans who died of drug poisoning in 2021, nearly 500 were Calgarians.

“They were our neighbours, our friends, our family. This service is a welcome and necessary step in reducing exposure to harm in our community. It is just one step among many that need to be taken, but I am hopeful to see services like these become widely accessible,” Walcott added.

Experts from the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Toronto, and the University of Victoria will form an academic advisory board for the pilot. Before the project even starts, the city will conduct community consultation to determine where services will be most needed.

“This project will provide much-needed data on the nature of the illegal street drug supply in Alberta,” Dr. Elaine Hyshka with the University of Alberta said. “It will not only help people who use drugs reduce their risk of drug poisoning, but also inform health system efforts to mitigate morbidity and mortality from the highly volatile illegal drug market.”

AAWEAR will also be giving out drug testing strips to the community to promote safe drug use techniques. The group will also train people to use Naloxone.

The pilot project is set to begin this June with services opening up later this fiscal year.