The Edgartown Police Department is one of 11 Massachusetts police departments that has partnered with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) to use fentanyl test strips as a new tool to engage people with opioid use disorder and help prevent overdose deaths.
The pilot project will take place over three months, according to a press release from PAARI, and is funded by a $150,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Police departments, along with community agencies, will distribute fentanyl test strip kits for people at risk of opioid overdose. The project begins this week and continues through June.
The test strips are used to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs, offering an additional layer of protection against fatal overdoses.
“Though it is important to note that all illicit drugs are dangerous and could potentially contain fentanyl, and false negatives are possible. Ultimately, the kits are meant to inform and protect the health of people who use drugs, often leading them to change their use and behavior,” the release states.
The test kits contain three fentanyl test strips, a brochure on how to use them, a COVID-19 safety handout, a card on how to obtain nasal naloxone (NARCAN), a card on the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline, and a card on how to contact a PAARI recovery coach.
PAARI is a nonprofit organization that works to help law enforcement agencies across the country create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery.
“The Edgartown Police Department is excited to be playing a role in this bold new approach to combating addiction and preventing overdose deaths. For those in our community who are suffering, it is our sincere hope that this initiative will play a real role in their recovery,” Edgartown’s Police Chief Bruce McNamee said in the release.