London’s first-ever drug checking services to open in Hackney and Camden
The Loop promises to provide health advice, “rapid” substance analysis and information on local drug market trends
London’s first-ever drug checking services are set to launch in Hackney and Camden.
The news was announced on March 9 by drug checking and harm reduction charity The Loop, who first introduced drug checking services in the UK in 2016, calling latest additions a “major step forward”.
The Loop Drug Checking Services will open in both Hackney and Camden, and will be “fully funded” by their respective councils and supported by the Metropolitan Police.
The Loop promises to provide health advice, “rapid” analysis of substances and information on local drug market trends which will then be shared with communities in the area.
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The services will be operated by The Loop’s “multi-disciplinary” team, which comprises health professionals, chemists and “academic experts” with knowledge on drug-related harm.
“Following the introduction of The Loop’s Bristol-based service in 2024, crucially more people will now have access to regular drug checking,” says The Loop CEO Katy Porter.
“Hackney and Camden are the first of several London boroughs we are working with, alongside further cities. This launch represents another important shift toward evidence-based health interventions at a time when drug deaths in England are at an all-time high.”
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In 2024, The Loop launched the UK’s first regular drug checking service in Bristol offering free testing and health advice in an effort to reduce drug-related medical incidents, overdoses and hospital admissions.
Like its services in Bristol, the latest harm reduction efforts from The Loop are licensed by the Home Office and will also be free for use, and are entirely confidential.
Speaking on new London services, professor Fiona Measham says: “Drug markets are more dangerous than ever, with increasing numbers of potent synthetic drugs in circulation across the UK.”
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X
