Bristol Launches UK’s First Regular Drug Checking Service
The UK’s first regular drug checking service is set to launch in Bristol this month, delivered by charity The Loop – a non-profit, harm-reduction organisation founded by the University of Liverpool’s Professor Fiona Measham.
In partnership with Bristol City Council and Bristol Drugs Project, The Loop will be bringing its pioneering service, which combines personalised health advice with drug testing, to central Bristol.
Funded by Bristol City Council and operated by The Loop’s team of professional chemists and health professionals, the new service is a multi-agency partnership together with Bristol Drugs Project (BDP), and the universities of Liverpool and Bath.
The Loop was founded by Professor Measham in 2012 as a university action research project, evidence-based harm reduction service, and longlisted impact case study. It is the first and only dedicated drug checking organisation in the UK, introducing drug checking in 2016 at Secret Garden Party festival.
The trailblazing evidence-based health service aims to reduce harm from dependent and high-risk drug-taking, increase understanding of local drug markets, and share information with stakeholders, including police and health services, to support harm reduction messages to wider drug using communities.
(c) The Loop
Professor Fiona Measham, Chair in Criminology at the University of Liverpool’s School of Law and Social Justice, said:
This is a landmark moment for harm reduction. After 12 years of preparations, evaluations and negotiations, it is fantastic news that The Loop can start the UK’s first regular drug checking service.
With more cities due to follow soon, this launch represents the start of a new era for drug checking and it could not come at a more important time. The risks from adulteration of the illegal drug market have never been greater.
The new drug testing service aligns with the aspirations set out in the Bristol Drug and Alcohol strategy. Councillor Ellie King, Cabinet Lead for Public Health and Communities, said:
I am proud that Bristol is the first city in the UK to have a regular drug checking service. This new initiative is ultimately going to save lives. It also means our communities will be able to access scientific and evidence-based information about the drugs that they may consume and that are in circulation.
Bristol is leading the way in this innovative public health approach to keeping people safe around drugs which shows that, as a city, we put our people’s wellbeing at the forefront of decision making. This is about working in partnership to help reduce harm to our communities and empowering people to make safer, more informed choices, with access to drug treatment and further support.
Substances of concern can be submitted for testing, with testing proven to reduce drug-related harm.
Completely confidential and free to access, it is set to open its doors for the first time on Saturday 27 January 2024 and will run once a month, with additional testing dates to be announced during the year ahead.
Licensed by the Home Office and in line with government policy, The Loop Bristol Drug Checking Service will focus on dependent, frequent and problematic use, the areas of highest need, with the aim of reducing consumption of adulterants and contaminated drugs and thus the risk of poisoning and overdose, whilst signposting service users to support services and helping to save lives.
(c) The Loop
Anna Smith, CEO of partner agency Bristol Drugs Project, said:
As an organisation committed to reducing the harms caused by drugs and alcohol, we are excited by the possibilities this service has for people in Bristol who use drugs.
We have a proud history of championing progressive harm reduction and public safety interventions. We cannot wait to contribute our experience and expertise from 37 years of working in the city to this service.
Drug checking services have operated successfully across Europe for four decades and have been piloted in the UK by The Loop since 2016, and Bristol in 2018.
Drug checking provides a vital opportunity for people to access accurate, timely, and relevant information to make more informed decisions about drugs, alongside support and treatment options. Service users surrender substances of concern, which are later destroyed, for laboratory analysis by chemists, and test results inform local harm reduction messages and alerts. The results also inform personalised consultations with health professionals.
(c) The Loop
The Loop Drug Checking Service provides non-judgemental support, and clear, factual information to communicate relative risk and help reduce potential harm, signposting and supporting people into treatment and other local health services, where appropriate.
The Loop is clear that there is no such thing as safe drug use, all drug use carries risk, and it benefits all drug using communities and emergency services to better understand the nature and extent of dangerous drugs in circulation, to reduce the harm caused to individuals, communities and wider society.
No drugs are returned to service users, only information regarding the substance and professional healthcare advice.
For more information, please visit: https://wearetheloop.org/
(c) The Loop