An April agency letter said strips for fentanyl and other adulterants intended for people using drugs would no longer be funded, despite continued support for naloxone.
Experts said the move removes a tool that helps users detect contaminated supplies, change behaviour and avoid overdose, while exposing contradictions in the Trump administration’s drug policy.
The decision comes alongside proposed $10bn cuts to addiction and overdose programmes, even as the White House promotes a national drug strategy expanding treatment, naloxone and surveillance.
Why fund national drug surveillance while defunding personal tools that can immediately prevent an overdose death?
As naloxone-resistant 'rhino tranq' spreads, how will defunding drug test strips impact the escalating overdose crisis?