A pair of drug poisoning alerts issued over the past month in Guelph is heightening the risk for recreational and even occasional users as a result.

The Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy Unit has reported 17 drug poisonings since two drug poisoning alerts were issued in late May. The most recent alert was issued on June 3.

Jean Hopkins, manager of the drug strategy unit, said the goal of the alerts is to ensure people are safe within the community.

“Right now, we’re seeing high-strength opioids like fentanyl, we’re seeing benzodiazepine and we’re seeing xylazine, which is a high-strength vet tranquillizer, and other unexpected substances in our unregulated supply that are leading to those adverse reactions and drug poisonings,” Hopkins said.

She said a Scatr machine and drug testing strips are among the harm reduction tools available that can support people to make informed decisions about their substance use.

“(Scatr machine) is a really small device, it uses laser technology. It’s about the size of a toaster and you put in a very small sample, and it provides information about what’s in that substance,” she said.

The Scatr machine is available at the Guelph Community Health Centre. Depending on the results, the process can take up to 12 minutes. It’s free to use at any time throughout the week. The drug strips are available at the Sanguen Health Centre and people can bring them home for use.

According to Hopkins, drug test strips involve dissolving a tiny sample of the substance in water. The strip will show lines after 60 seconds to determine whether a particular substance is present. She said the strips look for fentanyl, xylazine and benzodiazepine.

Hopkins said drug test strips are used more often than the Scatr machine because of how the results are being shared.

Previously, the machine would show how much of a substance was in a sample and would help people figure out how potent their drugs might be. The percentages would provide people with useful information to help them make safer choices; however, she said the technology has since changed.

“Instead of showing that exact percentage, the machine just lists out what substances are present without being as specific as it was before,” she said.

Hopkins said the lack of detail makes it harder to determine the potency of the drug or the potential risks.

While she said some people remain active in testing substances, Hopkins stressed that it’s important to communicate with the public to keep them safe and educate them about the resources available.

“No tool is 100 per cent effective, but we are always encouraging people to make sure that if they are using unregulated substances, to not use (them) alone, go slow and to always have naloxone nearby as well,” she said.

In addition, an infographic is on the drug strategy’s website to provide further information on the Scatr machine and drug testing strips, among other options, to keep people educated and safe.