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My article on the opioid epidemic, which is being published with every conservative news site this week. How the U.S. Fumbled the Fentanyl Crisis with Faulty Testing and Ineffective Harm Reduction — and a Path ForwardThe United States continues to grapple with an opioid crisis that has escalated into a full-blown synthetic drug epidemic, primarily driven by the proliferation of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and its analogs. Despite billions in funding and dozens of harm reduction initiatives, overdose deaths continue to decline ever so slightly over a 5 year period. Central to this failure is the country’s overreliance on outdated, impractical fentanyl test strips — tools that have proven woefully inadequate in the real-world drug use environment.The logic behind fentanyl test strips is sound: provide users with a simple way to determine whether fentanyl is present in their drugs before use, giving them the opportunity to reduce risk or abstain. But in practice, these test strips have failed to fulfill their promise. The most widely distributed strips — which often only detect fentanyl and a limited set of analogs — require users to completely dissolve a portion of their drug in water, essentially wasting their supply in order to test it. In a street economy where every dollar and dose counts, this method simply doesn't work. Furthermore, this process is dangerous as in overdoses and poisoning where poly-substance use is present, as little as 3ng of fentanyl can take one’s life (think 3 grains of salt.) In addition, most drug users that actually will dilute their substance in water to remain safe, end up shooting the toxic liquid intravenously which fully exacerbates their drug problem, and can lead to infection and death.A major blind spot in national harm reduction strategy is the assumption that users will engage with tools that undermine their immediate needs — in this case, preserving the integrity and value of their drugs. While health departments have distributed tens of millions of these strips across the country, anecdotal and survey-based evidence shows that the majority go unused. Moreover, most strips are not equipped to detect the ever-expanding array of deadly synthetic adulterants like nitazenes, xylazine, or benzodiazepines — substances now commonly found in the illicit drug supply. Testing only for fentanyl in 2025 is like checking for rain while ignoring the hurricane. Fentanyl analogs such as Carfentanil (used in anesthesia for large animals like rhinoceros) are up to 10,000 times stronger than morphine, and 100 times stronger than Fentanyl. Nitazenes are up to 40 times stronger than Fentanyl and not easily detected. Cartels, drug suppliers and enemies of the United States know this, and are rapidly adapting to these substances to continue business as usual. Despite knowing these limitations and emerging threats, federal and state agencies have continued to throw money at the same failed model. According to government procurement data and harm reduction budgets, hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to distribute these flawed strips, often with little follow-up or data collection on usage or effectiveness. The result? A false sense of progress, while overdose death rates — particularly among younger users and communities of color — drop subtlety, remain steady, or in some states, climb.Meanwhile, a potential inflection point has emerged: the $7.4 billion settlement reached with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, a landmark agreement approved by all 50 states. This windfall represents a rare opportunity to reinvest in more effective, evidence-based, and user-friendly harm reduction tools. The question is, will this money be used to sustain failed models, or to pivot toward more effective solutions?Enter The Fentanyl Test’s A47 Testing Line — a next-generation drug checking solution that addresses nearly every flaw of traditional fentanyl strips. The A47 test is a multi-analyte screening tool that requires no dilution of the drug being tested, can test any surface or substance including drinks, that preserves user trust and the usability of the tested substance. Its sensitivity threshold is an unmatched 1 ng/mL, enabling it to detect even trace amounts of fentanyl and its analogs, including carfentanil. The A47 4-panel test also detects the ultra-potent nitazenes to just 50ng/mL, which are completely missed by current strips, and perhaps most importantly, detects xylazine (a veterinary tranquilizer increasingly found in street opioids) and benzodiazepines, both of which are contributing significantly to fatal overdoses due to their sedative properties and resistance to naloxone.Unlike current tests that require separate strips for each substance — making testing cumbersome, costly, and more likely to be skipped altogether — the A47 line integrates multi-substance detection into a single test. This innovation not only improves the quality of information users receive but also increases the likelihood they will actually use the product. It’s the kind of scalable, user-centered technology that could actually move the needle in overdose prevention and end the epidemic altogether. Allocating even a fraction of the Purdue settlement toward widespread distribution and education around the A47 testing line could drastically improve harm reduction outcomes. For example, if just 5% of the $7.4 billion settlement — roughly $370 million — were used to manufacture and distribute A47 tests through community-based organizations, syringe exchange programs, and mail-based harm reduction services, millions of high-risk users could access multiple lifesaving technologies without the barriers imposed by traditional strips.Moreover, unlike other public health interventions, advanced drug testing technology offers real-time, individual-level protection. A user who knows their dose contains fentanyl, xylazine, or nitazenes can make an informed choice immediately — something that naloxone, supervised use sites, or abstinence-based messaging cannot provide on their own.But for this shift to occur, public health leadership must acknowledge a difficult truth: we’ve failed by clinging to inadequate tools out of convenience and institutional inertia. The fentanyl crisis is not static; the substances change, the risk increases, and our harm reduction strategies must evolve accordingly. We can no longer afford to measure success by the number of strips distributed. We must measure it by lives saved, and that requires deploying the most effective tools available.The opioid crisis has always been complex, but the solution doesn’t have to be. The A47 testing line offers a practical, scalable, and scientifically sound advancement in harm reduction. With billions now available through the Purdue settlement, the United States has a rare chance to course-correct — to choose effectiveness over performative action, and to finally offer drug users the tools they deserve.The only question that remains is whether policymakers will seize the moment, or let another opportunity slip away. To obtain your lifesaving tools, please visit www.thefentanyltest.com.