As the opioid crisis continues to take lives in big cities and small communities across Canada, a Kingston technology company has developed a rapid testing system to identify the lethal contaminants sometimes present in street drugs.
Spectra Plasmonics’ drug analysis system identifies the unique chemical “fingerprints” of various substances found in a sample and can detect the presence of dangerous contaminants such as fentanyl.
The technology is currently being piloted at a supervised consumption site in Kingston, but company officials say they’re eager to roll out the devices across North America.
“We want this to be in the hands of everybody whose job it is to save lives in this crisis,” says company co-founder and CEO Malcolm Eade.
Author of the article: Elliot Ferguson
Publishing date: Dec 16, 2020 • December 16, 2020 • 3 minute read Malcolm Eade of Spectra Plasmonics explains how the company s drug-checking technology works to a Kingston city council online meeting on Tuesday.
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KINGSTON A city-funded pilot project to create an early warning system to detect toxic street drugs could “revolutionize” how local public officials protect drug users.
City council approved spending almost $270,000 to support a pilot project at Kingston Community Health Centres designed to allow drug users to perform chemical analysis of the drugs they consume and access support based on their own consumption patterns.
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