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Re:How to Tell a Mother Her Child Is Dead by rdl on Saturday September 03, 2016 @10:15PM (#12422318)
From a harm reduction perspective, what would the minimum testing kit to differentiate fentanyl from other physically similar-appearing drugs look like?
Re:How to Tell a Mother Her Child Is Dead by JshWright on Saturday September 03, 2016 @10:19PM (#12422328)
It would look like this:

http://www.sirchie.com/nark20033-fentanyl-reagent.html#.V8uE...

The problem is, it's a destructive test, which makes it unattractive to both dealers and users, as it requires wasting at least some of the product.

Re:How to Tell a Mother Her Child Is Dead by dzmien on Monday September 05, 2016 @07:31AM (#12429543)
When I was an active heroin addict, I would do a small test shot of new product before doing a normal dose. If it was too strong, then the match-head sized shot would get me off, and I would know to go easy on it. If nothing happened, I would wait 5 minutes and then raise the dose, until I was where I wanted to be. I somehow managed to avoid overdosing in the 8 or so years I was using. I don't know what part of that can be attributed to caution or luck, but there was probably a lot of luck involved. Either way, that chapter of my life is over, and I am grateful to have come out alive.
Re:How to Tell a Mother Her Child Is Dead by Symbiote on Sunday September 04, 2016 @04:54AM (#12423433)
An additional problem is it says only police are allowed to buy the kit.

Seems strange, when tests for other drugs are available.

Re:How to Tell a Mother Her Child Is Dead by dzmien on Monday September 05, 2016 @07:37AM (#12429573)
It probably uses a marquis reagent, which could theoretically be made at home, as it is just a mixture of formaldehyde and sulfuric acid[0]. There are also websites[1] that have a key describing the colors that a number of substances produce on reaction with various reagents.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_reagent

[1] https://dancesafe.org/testing-kit-instructions/