Fentanyl test strips now legal in Arkansas

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - A new preventative measure has hit the shelves in Northeast Arkansas.

The Fentanyl Enforcement and Accountability Act was passed in 2023, legalizing test strips that were previously classified as “drug paraphernalia.”

“FTS are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of Fentanyl in all different kinds of drugs and drug forms,” according to the CDC. Some of the drugs include cocaine, meth, and heroin.

Substance Abuse Counselor in Training Jennifer Long with Revivl Counseling Center said the fentanyl epidemic is increasing by the day.

“We are losing so many loved ones, even in our community,” Long said.

Long said to use the strips, users can take a sample of a drug and then mix it with water.

“They dip the strip in and it will tell you whether or not it is positive or negative for fentanyl,” Long said.

FTS can be purchased at CVS in Jonesboro, along with Narcan.

Drug Safety Advocate Rachel Porter said she got her strips from the Central Arkansas Harm Reduction Project for free. She explained they are easily accessible.

“This is something I think everybody should have in their first aid kit at home,” Porter said.

Porter said fentanyl is beyond powerful and deadly. However, she said the testing strips keep loved ones safer.

“Just last week I lost a former classmate I grew up with due to a fentanyl overdose,” Porter said. “The most important thing is that everybody wakes up the next day.”

One Family Outreach is another resource that will confidentially send free fentanyl test strips to anyone in the state of Arkansas.

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