The first regular drug checking service in the UK has been launched this month in central Bristol.
Funded by Bristol City Council and delivered by the charity The Loop, the pioneering service combines personalised health advice with drug testing.
Run by The Loop’s team of professional chemists and health professionals, the service aims to reduce harm from dependent and high-risk drug-taking, increase understanding of local drug markets, and share information with stakeholders.
Cllr Ellie King, cabinet lead for Public Health and Communities, said: ‘I am proud that Bristol is the first city in the UK to have a regular drug checking service. This new initiative is ultimately going to save lives. It also means our communities will be able to access scientific and evidence-based information about the drugs that they may consume and that are in circulation.
‘Bristol is leading the way in this innovative public health approach to keeping people safe around drugs which shows that, as a city, we put our people’s wellbeing at the forefront of decision making.’
