Vivent Health Celebrates the Missouri Legislature’s Decision to Legalize Fentanyl Test Strips

Vivent Health celebrates the recent passage of legislation by the Missouri General Assembly decriminalizing the use and distribution of fentanyl test strips. People can now use these strips to test their drugs for fentanyl, which is increasingly being cut into other drugs and fueling the historic rise in overdoses. Studies have shown that when the strips yield a positive result, people are more likely to take steps to reduce their odds of overdosing. We applaud Missouri for joining a growing list of states that have recognized the importance of increasing access to this lifesaving tool, and we urge Governor Parson to swiftly sign the measure into law.

In addition, Vivent Health looks forward to working with state legislators to save even more lives by passing other sorely needed policies next session. For example, legislation to authorize syringe access programs once again failed to pass this year despite receiving broad bipartisan support. SAPs have been proven to reduce HIV and hepatitis transmission and improve participants’ engagement in care, including substance use treatment. We are also seeing an alarming rise in xylazine-involved deaths which demonstrates the need to broadly exempt all drug testing supplies from paraphernalia laws so public health providers can respond proactively to changing trends in the drug supply.