Wisconsin Lawmakers Take Steps to Decriminalize Drug Testing Strips

Sunday, April 7th, 2024 -- 10:00 AM

(Anya van Wagtendonk, Wisconsin Public Radio) In the face of an ongoing drug overdose crisis, Wisconsin lawmakers have taken steps to decriminalize testing strips that allow people using drugs to better understand what’s in their supply.

According to Anya van Wagtendonk with Wisconsin Public Radio, in 2022, the state decriminalized testing strips for the synthetic opioid fentanyl. And in late March, Gov. Tony Evers signed into law a bipartisan bill to do the same with testing strips that register the presence of xylazine, a narcotic sometimes known as “tranq” that can make opioids even more deadly.

That reflects a growing infiltration into the Wisconsin of xylazine-mixed drugs. Milwaukee County, for example, is bracing itself for an estimated 239 overdose deaths this year from the mixture.

“There is currently no xylazine reversal agent safe for human use, which means prevention is key,” said Evers in his bill signing statement. “By making these strips available, in addition to providing certain civil and criminal liability exemptions for people distributing or administering these products, we can help save more lives and help get folks on a successful path to recovery.”

Prior to the new law, the testing strips were considered drug paraphernalia. Advocates say that decriminalizing their usage is a step toward harm reduction. Dr. Ritu Bhatnagar, an addiction psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine who previously led the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine, says testing strips will let people know what’s in their drugs, potentially allowing them to make safer choices in their usage.

But she adds that it’s only a first step toward reducing drug deaths. She argues that solving the crisis requires understanding why people begin abusing substances in the first place.

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