A technology developed at Vancouver Island University to analyze illicit drugs can save lives, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson said Tuesday.
HarmCheck, which provides results in one to two minutes, can detect and measure substances such as fentanyl, carfentanil and etizolam, which could mean a reduction in “poisoned-drug overdoses,” Malcolmson said.
The provincial government announced that it is providing $305,000 to support HarmCheck.
“This technology allows for rapid and cost-effective drug-checking services that provide life-saving information,” Malcolmson said.
“I am grateful to the team at Vancouver Island University and proud to support a homegrown solution that adds another tool in our response to the drug-poisoning crisis.”
Armin Saatchi, a VIU graduate student involved in the creation of HarmCheck, has dealt with substance dependency himself and credits his family and his treatment regimen for getting him to the point where he is succeeding academically.
Saatchi said: “I am proud to be part of the team developing this new technology, and I’m grateful for the support of the province, which will help people who desperately need access to the vital information we can provide about the unsafe and unregulated drug supply.”
VIU chemistry professor Chris Gill said the technology has been very successful in the lab in measuring the substances contained in illicit drugs.
“With this technology, we can let people know what substances are in their drugs and, more importantly, how much of certain substances are present,” Gill said.
Only a tiny amount of a substance is needed for a test.
VIU president Deborah Saucier thanked the province for acknowledging the important role universities play in addressing societal challenges with its support for the technology.
She said HarmCheck has the potential to help address “one of the most crucial and devastating challenges we face” — the opioid epidemic.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps expressed thanks to the government for supporting such new options. “Our community has been one of the hardest hit by the drug-poisoning crisis.”
Up to June 1, 680 people had died from illicit drug overdoses in B.C. this year, including 176 in April, the worst-ever month for opioid deaths and a 43 per cent increase in deaths from April 2020. The province’s overdose death rate has almost doubled since 2016, when a state of emergency was declared.
HarmCheck is a collaboration involving VIU and the Victoria-based Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project. The project provides free, confidential drug-checking services at 1802 Cook St. from noon to 7 p.m. each day.
Nearly 2,000 samples have already been tested in Victoria.
Malcolmson said HarmCheck could spread across the province.
Provincial funds will help with setup costs, upgrades to sites and research staff.
jbell@timescolonist.com
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