Marin health officials monitor illicit drug use by testing sewage

“It’s important that you earn the trust of the community,” Halden said. “And it’s not monopolized by some and used in potentially harmful ways.”

Halden says data collected at Arizona State University during the pandemic revealed that patterns of drug use had changed in the community. Dealerships faced the same supply chain disruptions that plagued the consumer market, forcing people to change what they were consuming based on what was available. Knowing what’s popular can inform education campaigns and help officials target specific prevention strategies to neighborhoods that need it most.

For example, if an area is showing an increase in heroin use, law enforcement in that neighborhood can stock up on naloxone, marketed as Narcan, to reverse overdoses. Or, if sewage testing reveals an increase in fentanyl use at a school, that could motivate parents to discuss the potential threat with their children.

Over time, officials could also determine whether a health policy is helping to reduce drug use in a particular area.

“We hope that other communities that use wastewater testing will involve their community members to ensure that those most affected by this overdose crisis are also included in the solutions we implement,” said Hannah said.