The drug supply in Rhode Island is always changing. Knowing what is in the supply can lower your risk of overdose by helping you be prepared.
Researchers and community partners are teaming up to learn more about the local drug supply and spot new trends. One way they are doing this is through drug checking, where samples are tested to see what is in them.
When many samples are tested, we can understand drug supply trends. This lets us create alerts about certain drugs we may be finding and help inform decisions about drug use.
Jump to section:
Drug Checking
What’s in the Supply
Past & Ongoing Research
Harm Reduction
How Does Drug Checking Work?
It is important to understand that both drug checking and test strips have limits and can’t promise that a drug is pure or safe.
Where Can I Test My Drugs?
Community drug checking is available through the COBRE on Opioids and Overdose. To learn more about drug checking or to find drug checking hours and locations, please call or text CUTS at 401-473-9286 or 401-408-6451 or email the COBRE at opioidcobre@gmail.com
Please note: phone and email are monitored Monday through Friday, from 9 AM – 5 PM.
You can also test your drugs for fentanyl using fentanyl test strips that you can get for free in Rhode Island.
What’s In The Supply?
The drug supply in Rhode Island changes often. Drug checking allows people to learn about their own drugs and make informed decisions about their use. We also use this information to learn about new drugs in our state and to create public health alerts.
What we have found in Rhode Island
The drugs shown here have been found in the Rhode Island drug supply. Click an image below to learn more about the health effects of each drug. These alerts also provide information about things you can do to prevent an overdose or other harms.
It is important to know that drug checking is capturing just a small portion of the drugs in Rhode Island.
Where can I get detailed drug supply data?
Researchers, service providers, and community members are collaborating to track and communicate changes to Rhode Island’s drug supply. StreetCheck provides information on the drug supply gathered from drug checking services and laboratories across New England. The StreetCheck database shows national and regional drug supply trends. You can filter by state and county for a closer look at trends in Rhode Island.
If you have submitted a drug sample, you can also find your anonymous results. These results are updated daily.
Find more detailed drug supply data.
What can I do with drug checking information?
Drug checking gives you information to make decisions about how to use your drugs and what to do next. There are things you can do every time you use drugs, like always having naloxone and never using alone. Learn about ways to lower your risk of overdose and get free harm reduction supplies.
Past & Ongoing Research
Researchers and community members are working together to gain a better understanding of the Rhode Island and regional drug supplies. Learn more about ongoing and past research projects below:
The project aims to examine the drug supply and use behaviors over time, and to understand if drug checking impacts an individual’s interest in treatment. Participants provide a drug sample for testing and complete a baseline survey. They are then followed and complete surveys every six months. The CUTS team also offers drug checking services to the community, whether or not they are participants in the research project.
The CUTS study works with StreetCheck to collect and report drug checking results. Members of the CUTS team collect drug samples at participating locations and test them. The results of the samples are sent to StreetCheck for reporting. This ensure participants can easily access their results.
Contact: cutsri.study@gmail.com
The testRI study tested over 200 samples from the community and provided real-time information about the drug supply for the duration of the project. Researchers also spoke with 50 people who use drugs across the state to understand how the supply was changing and how they managed these changes. The study concluded in 2023 and the results of this study might not accurately reflect the drug supply today.
Click to download the final drug supply report.
View the study page archive.
More Resources
Harm Reduction Resources
Learn where to get free supplies like naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and sterile needles to protect yourself from infections and overdose.
Learn About Xylazine
Xylazine is a powerful sedative recently found in the Rhode Island drug supply. Xylazine isn’t an opioid but can still impact an overdose.
Drugs in Rhode Island
Knowing about the types of drugs that impact Rhode Island’s overdose crisis can keep you prepared.