Back to Newsroom

Get your drugs tested

User-friendly organization offers free testing of substances to help keep people safer — from university students, to busy professionals, to folks with active dependencies

October 2, 2025

It’s ironic, in a way. All the testing here in the Downtown Eastside is done anonymously, yet the name of the service couldn’t be more straightforward: Get Your Drugs Tested (GYDT). The simplicity reflects the philosophy — that honesty and openness are often the most practical, accessible and effective tools for keeping people safer. At its core, GYDT offers a community-based way to find out what’s really in the drugs our neighbours, friends and family members are using — whether that’s unexpected substances, other drugs or harmful contaminants. 

“We pretty much see all walks of life, in terms of who comes through the door,” says Michelle, site manager for GYDT, in an interview with Megaphone. “From young people going to university and just having a good time on the weekend, to business types, to folks with active dependencies who are using street ‘down’ (meaning street fentanyl, but which used to mean heroin) instead of their safe supply of hydromorphone.” 

And so far, it’s been working. Located at 880 E. Hastings St. and launched in 2019 by longtime local activist Dana Larsen, the Vancouver-based organization originally began as an overdose consumption site, with safe injection tables in the back for folks to access. But due to limited space — and because several other safe consumption sites already operate nearby — GYDT chose to focus solely on overdose and toxicity prevention through drug testing. 

So, what’s involved in drug testing exactly?

Well, first, a customer would require a sample of a substance. Bring in a sample of your drugs — something about the size of a match head is good enough to test — and you keep the rest. And no need to worry about cops busting you. GYDT has a special governmental amnesty status which guards it from prosecution under the law, as it is protected as an overdose prevention site.  

Next, a trained technician analyzes the sample — using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectrometers and test strips — free of charge, whether in person or by mail. It’s important to note, however, that sending narcotics through Canada Post or other couriers is technically illegal. If drugs are intercepted, they can be confiscated, and the return address traced back to the sender. 

Technicians are trained through the BC Centre for Substance Use (BCCSU), and are then required to shadow a more experienced tech until they get comfortable and confident with testing. 

“On a busy day, two working technicians can test anywhere between 60 to 80 samples a day,” says Michelle. 

Fentanyl, which is tested for most often, will often contain substances such as caffeine or sugar, which is used to “buff” out the scalable weight, increasing its street value. However, substances can occasionally be contaminated with xylazine — a powerful sedative known on the street  as “tranq” (short for tranquilizer), or with “benzos” (benzodiazepines) — neither of which respond to naloxone, the life-saving overdose reversal drug.  

“We’re here to help people make informed decisions about the drugs and substances they use,” states the organization’s website. “We now maintain the world’s largest database of drug analysis results.” 

Once your substances have been analyzed, the test results will be sent to you whichever way you choose: in person, by mail or email. In person, it’s an instant service. You wait 15 minutes to find out what’s in the drug sample. Then you can go use them, if you still want to.  

Results don’t determine the purity of the substance, only the specific contents, such as the presence of fentanyl or benzodiazepine. The results are combined and categorized into a “library” of tested substances, which the BCCSU uses to track drug trends in the province and conduct recovery-related research — all without including any identifying information, Michelle adds. 

“Unfortunately, in my two years with the organization, we’ve seen the down situation getting progressively worse over time,” says Michelle, who is now seeing multiple analogues of fentanyl, as well as carfentanil, which is 100 times as potent as fentanyl, and 10,000 times stronger than morphine. 

“So if you don’t know what you are taking, the risk factor goes way up for overdose and toxicity poisoning,” she says.   

Once the test is complete, GYDT combines all samples of drugs with cat litter, before sending for incineration disposal. 

GYTD recently opened its second site at 284 W. Broadway, though this site is smaller, with only one spectrometer, compared to the three at the original East Hastings location.  

Other drug checking sites in the area include Insite (139 E. Hastings St. ), VCH Thomas Donaghy OPS (1060 Howe St.), and the Molson OPS (166 E. Hastings St. In the alley). 

All sites also include support staff on hand to offer folks harm reduction supplies or free educational materials.    

Nicolas Crier (Cree) is a member of The Shift peer newsroom at Megaphone magazine. He has spent approximately half his life surviving in the streets and more than a decade in the Downtown Eastside. It never occurred to him that being a drug user would ever be useful, but he’s parlayed his street smarts and community connections into a successful career as an overdose responder and outreach worker. He is a published writer and takes part in numerous academic partnerships through universities and health authorities. He is the proud father of one son. 

Published in Megaphone magazine on October 3, 2025