UK’s first regular drug checking service to launch in Bristol

In what has been hailed a “landmark moment for harm reduction”, Bristol will be home to the UK’s first regular drug checking service.

Designed to save lives, the “trailblazing” scheme will enable people to hand in substances to be tested and will also offer personalised, non-judgemental, confidential and free health advice.

Run by harm reduction charity The Loop, in partnership with Bristol City Council and Bristol Drugs Project, the new service opens on Saturday and will be held once a month initially, with additional dates to be announced throughout the year.

Licensed by the Home Office, Bristol Drug Checking Service will focus on dependent, frequent and problematic use and the areas of highest need, with the aim of reducing consumption of adulterants and contaminated drugs – and therefore, the risk of poisoning and overdose. It will also signpost service users to support services.

Professor Fiona Measham, founder of The Loop and chair in criminology at the University of Liverpool, 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 amnesty bin for people to leave drugs will be located at Bristol Drugs Project on Brunswick Square in St Paul’s, where the Loop mobile laboratory will also be based. Healthcare consultations will take place at a local community centre.

Bristol will be home to the UK’s first regular drug checking service

Anna Smith, CEO of 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.”

Ellie King, Labour’s cabinet lead for public health and communities, added: “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.”

Funded by Bristol City Council and operated by The Loop’s team of 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.

It aims to reduce harm from dependent and high-risk drug-taking, increase understanding of local drug markets, and share information with stakeholders to support harm reduction messages.

The launch of the regular drug checking service follows successful pilots run by the Loop since 2016, with Bristol first playing host to a trial scheme in 2018. It is a service that has operated successfully across Europe for four decades.

All photos: The Loop

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