Utrecht has had a drug testing service for over 30 years, currently operated by Jellinek. At the drug testing services, visitors can anonymously test their drugs. This allows you to know what is in your drugs and how strong they are. This contributes to safer drug use. The drugs are sent to the lab for analysis and after a week the visitor can call about the results, completely anonymously. In the case of ecstasy, results can be given immediately in just over 30% of cases.

During the festival season, the testing service is very busy, which means not all visitors can be helped. Starting in June 2025, the new drug testing machine (FTIR) will be put into use. This machine can provide immediate results for several drugs (MDMA powder, amphetamine, 2-MMC, 3-MMC, ketamine, GHB). Drugs like ecstasy and cocaine cannot be tested by the FTIR. 

Intermediaries

This FTIR also reaches a different group of people. People with (vulnerability to) addiction do not yet find their way to the testing service sufficiently and are currently only very limitedly reached. The FTIR is suitable for this target group because it provides immediate results of the substances. To increase reach among vulnerable groups, the testing service has started a pilot to have intermediaries pick up drugs from the user. This can be done by field workers or other professionals connected to Jellinek who come into contact with this target group.

This creates visibility into a market that often operates outside the view of the testing service, leading to better insights into trends and users on the street. This can improve assistance. This pilot can now be continued.

More Open
The municipality finances this drug testing service. Alderman Eelco Eerenberg (Public Health) explains: “The best is not to use drugs at all, but if you do, do it as safely as possible. We now see that the drug testing service is very busy during the festival season. Therefore, the municipality ensures that this year the drug testing service will be extra open during the festival season where the FTIR can be used. Additionally, the testing service can be visited several times during the weekend.” 

Reaching More People
Jellinek: ‘We are very happy with the extra opening. Customer satisfaction surveys from people visiting the drug testing service have often asked for more opening hours. Additionally, testing drugs is not only useful for the user. Jellinek also learns what is on the market. Because if we see such a contaminated product, we can quickly warn about it, and then we see that it quickly disappears from the market, leading to fewer victims. Furthermore, we are very happy with the extra opportunities we have been given to reach target groups for whom the threshold to the testing service is still too high.”