Community drug checking to reduce fentanyl harms
Navigating the Fentanyl Age with Community Drug Checking
This project offers community drug checking for people who use street drugs so they can learn what’s in the supply and get linked to safer care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rhode Island Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11257664 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, you can bring a small sample of a drug to community sites where staff will test and tell you what chemicals are present. The team will collect anonymous information about those results and link them with health data and treatment contacts to understand exposures and outcomes. The work is observational — it does not require changing your care but can help connect people to naloxone, treatment options, and local resources. The project focuses on communities in Rhode Island that have been hard hit by fentanyl.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who use or handle street drugs in Rhode Island, especially those worried about fentanyl contamination.
Not a fit: People who do not use street drugs or who live far from Rhode Island community sites are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help people avoid unexpected fentanyl exposures and improve connections to life-saving naloxone and addiction treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Prior pilot programs and local drug-checking efforts have shown that testing can reveal dangerous adulterants and engage people who use drugs, though its direct effect on long-term treatment outcomes is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Rhode Island Hospital — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Green, Traci C — Rhode Island Hospital
- Study coordinator: Green, Traci C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.