Funding cuts for fentanyl test strips raise concerns: "It doesn't make sense"

HealthWatch Trump administration ends funding for fentanyl test strips, baffling public health groups: "It doesn't make sense" .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-healthwatch.jpg'); } By Kerry Breen Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio Kerry Breen April 30, 2026 / 3:35 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Test strips used to determine if illicit drugs contain deadly contaminants including fentanyl will no longer be covered by federal funding, reversing a position the Trump administration held as recently as July and leaving public health organizations worried that the U.S. will lose the progress it has made combatting fatal overdoses. In a letter reviewed by CBS News, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said that agency funding cannot be used to purchase test strips used to check drugs for dangerous adulterants like fentanyl, xylazine and medetomidine.Test strips cost about $1 each and can be used to check drugs — from powders to pills to party drugs — for contamination. They are a "critical, life-saving tool" that can prevent fatal overdoses, said Maritza Perez Medina, director of federal policy at the Drug Policy Alliance. Medina said the sudden change in policy has left advocates scrambling. "People are just astonished," Medina said. "There has been a lot of confusion about where this came from." A fentanyl test strip. Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Letter reverses previous support  The "Dear Colleague" letter references an executive order signed by President Trump in July 2025 that declares SAMHSA funding cannot be used for programs that "only facilitate illegal drug use." A Health...