On February 25, the Minnesota Society of Addiction Medicine (MNSAM) submitted a letter in support of HF928, which would legalize possession of fentanyl testing strips, and empower syringe service providers to more effectively serve their clients by providing syringes and needles. Under current Minnesota law, fentanyl testing strips are illegal due to being considered “drug paraphernalia.” Furthermore, syringe exchange programs are forced to partner with pharmacies to actually distribute the syringes and needles, as the providers themselves cannot distribute them.

MNSAM’s letter focused on the importance of equipping those who use drugs with the tools necessary to avoid accidentally overdosing. Fentanyl testing strips are informative, inexpensive tests that can be utilized by drug users to test for the presence of fentanyl in their drugs. These tests are associated with positive changes in drug use behavior and positive changes in overdose behavior, indicating that they have the potential to prevent overdoses and save lives. The letter also emphasized the importance of  syringe service providers, noting that they improve the public health by mitigating the spread of HCV and HIV in the population.  

Read the letter here.

Read the bill here.