Retailer Makes Fentanyl Testing Kits Available in Canada
TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - Canadian retail chain, 180 Smoke Vape Store, will make fentanyl testing kits available in its retail stores and website in Canada. 180 Smoke specializes in harm reduction products, with an emphasis on smoking alternatives like vaping. In line with its focus on harm reduction, 180 Smoke Vape Store now offers many drug testing kits.
"We have been providing alternatives for smokers since 2013. With increasing number of opioid-related deaths and overdoses in recent months, especially due to fentanyl, we felt it was our obligation to make these strips and other testing kits available to Canadians," said Dr. Gopal Bhatnagar, co-founder of 180 Smoke Vape Store.
These fentanyl testing strips from Dancesafe use Canadian immunoassay technology to detect the presence of fentanyl and some of its known analogs in a drug sample, including butyryl-fentanyl, acetyl-fentanyl, 3-methylfentanyl, carfentanil, thiofentanyl, furanylfentanyl, 4-flourofentanyl, flouroisobutyryfentanyl and sufentanil.
"While the testing strips can identify most fentanyl-related analogs, there are still limitations that every potential user should be aware of. There is concern that these strips could give consumers a false sense of security due to the potential of false negatives," said Boris Giller, co-founder and CEO. "Unfortunately, there are currently no better alternatives available easily for people worried about adulterated drugs," added Giller.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, at least 2,458 Canadians died from opioid-related overdoses in 2016. More recently, the B.C. Coroners Service noted in September 2017 that Fentanyl was detected in 81% of illicit drug deaths in the province of British Columbia.
While no one claims that harm reduction can eliminate the risks of substance use or abuse, it can potentially mitigate some of those risks. An important part of the harm reduction process is knowing which exact substance a user is consuming.
SOURCE 180 Smoke Vape Store
For more information or interviews, Ashutosh Jha, Media Relations, [email protected], 1-855-994-6180 ext 101
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