CDC Removes Overdose Prevention Info: Here’s How to Test Your Drugs and Stay Safe

In January 2026, the Trump administration quietly removed overdose prevention and harm reduction content from the CDC website, including guidance on naloxone distribution, safe injection practices, and drug checking resources. When over 100,000 people die annually from overdoses, removing public health information makes no sense and it puts lives at risk unnecessarily.

But harm reduction has never depended solely on federal endorsement. The tools that keep people alive — drug testing kits, fentanyl test strips, and naloxone — are still here, still legal in most places, and still accessible. Here's what you need to know and what you can do right now.

What Was Removed from the CDC Website

The CDC's overdose prevention pages previously included evidence-based harm reduction guidance: how to recognize an overdose, where to access naloxone, information about syringe services programs, and resources for drug checking. That content is no longer publicly available on CDC.gov.

Removing this information doesn't change the science. It doesn't make overdoses less deadly or fentanyl less prevalent. It just means people have to work harder to find safety information that should be easily accessible from the nation's leading public health agency. That's a failure of policy, not a reason to stop protecting yourself.

This just means the information has to come from elsewhere — and it will.

Why Drug Testing Matters More Than Ever

Fentanyl contamination remains the leading driver of overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl and its analogs are showing up in cocaine, methamphetamine, counterfeit pills, and even ketamine. Testing your drugs before use is one of the most direct ways to reduce overdose risk.

How to Test Drugs for Fentanyl

Fentanyl test strips are small, inexpensive, and easy to use. They detect the presence of fentanyl and many fentanyl analogs in a substance sample. Here's how they work:

1. Dissolve a small amount of your substance in water
2. Dip the test strip for 15 seconds
3. Wait 2–5 minutes for results
4. Read: One line = fentanyl detected. Two lines = no fentanyl detected

Reagent Test Kits for Broader Drug Checking

Testing liquid, commonly known as reagents, produces chemical reactions to help identify what's in a substance. They can detect common adulterants, confirm whether a drug matches what you expected, and flag dangerous substitutions like synthetic cathinones or research chemicals. Combined with fentanyl test strips, they offer a practical first line of defense. Not sure which reagent test kit to use? Here are some of the most common use cases:

• Cocaine — Test with Marquis, Mecke, and Liebermann to detect levamisole, and other adulterants
• MDMA — Use Marquis, Mecke, and Simon's to confirm MDMA and rule out methamphetamine or dangerous adulterants
• Amphetamine / Adderall — Marquis, Mecke, and Simon's to differentiate amphetamine from methamphetamine
• Ketamine — Morris reagent specifically designed for ketamine identification
• LSD — Ehrlich and Hofmann reagents to verify the presence of indole compounds
• Heroin & Pain Pills — Marquis and Mecke to identify opioid compounds and substitutions

See our full Reaction Video Library for visual guides on how to read your test results.

Lab Testing for Complete Analysis

If you want to know exactly what's in your sample — including purity, cutting agents, and unexpected compounds — lab-based drug checking services provide full chemical analysis. Unlike reagent kits, lab tests identify every detectable substance and provide quantitative data. Services like Transparency Testing allow you to mail in samples for confidential analysis. Results typically return within a week and include a full breakdown of what was found.

Harm Reduction Doesn't Need Permission

Federal health agencies should lead on overdose prevention. When they don't, the responsibility falls to individuals, organizations, and communities — and those networks are strong. Drug checking and harm reduction education are not dependent on government websites. They exist because people who use drugs deserve accurate information and tools to stay safe. Testing your drugs is a personal, practical decision you can make right now, with or without federal endorsement.

Get Involved

• Join the Bunk Police community and help spread harm reduction awareness
• Take political action to protect harm reduction programs in your state
• Download the Transparency App for on-the-go harm reduction resources
• Donate to support harm reduction efforts and keep these tools accessible

External References

• The Guardian: Trump CDC Overdose Prevention Messaging
• CDC Overdose Prevention (archived)
• National Harm Reduction Coalition
• Drug Policy Alliance: Drug Checking and Overdose Prevention
• SAMHSA: Naloxone Resources
• NEXT Distro