Toronto’s Drug Checking Service offers people who use drugs timely and detailed information on the contents of their drugs, helping them to make more informed decisions.
This service also shares information on Toronto’s unregulated drug supply to inform those who cannot directly access the service, as well as community health workers, clinicians, first responders, public health units, policy makers, researchers, and others.
Every other week, results from samples checked by Toronto’s Drug Checking Service are combined and presented using the graphs below. Sign up to be notified when new data is available.
Checked samples by sample type
Two types of samples are accepted by this drug checking service: drugs and used equipment. This graph shows how many samples have been checked since the launch of Toronto’s Drug Checking Service – in total and by sample type.
Drugs could be a small amount of powder, crystals, or rocks, a crushed bit of a pill, blotter, or a small amount of liquid.
Used equipment could be a used cooker or filter, or leftover liquid from a syringe.
Checked samples by expected drug
When a sample is submitted to be checked, the drug that a sample was bought or got as is recorded (and is known as the “expected drug”). This graph shows which drugs were expected for samples checked. It can be filtered by sample type and the month a sample was checked.
Other expected drugs since the launch of this service include: 1,4-Butanediol (BDO), 1P-ETH-LAD, 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM), 2-Fluorodeschloroketamine (2F-DCK), 2-Fluoromethamphetamine (2-FMA), 3-MeO-PCP, 3-MeO-PCE, 3-Methylmethcathinone (3-MMC), 4-AcO-DMT, 4-AcO-DET, 4-AcO-MET, 4-Chloro-2,5-DMA (DOC), 4-Fluoroamphetamine (4-FA), 4-Fluoromethylphenidate (4F-MPH), 4-HO-MET, 4-HO-MiPT, 4-Methylcathinone (4-MC), 4-Methylmethcathinone (4-MMC), 4-Methylphenmetrazine (4-MPM), 5-APB/6-APB, 5-MAPB, 5-MeO-DMT, 5-MeO-DiPT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 6-APB, Adderall, AMT (α-methyltryptamine), Carfentanil, Codeine, Dextroamphetamine, Diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT), Dimethoxyamphetamine (DMA), Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Etaqualone, ETH-LAD, Fluorexetamine (FXE), GHB, Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid), Ibogaine, Isopropylphenidate, Lidocaine, Lisdexamphetamine (Vyvanse), Mescaline, Methadone, MDA, MDDMA, MDEA, MDMA, Metonitazene, Methaqualone (Quaalude), Methylone, Methylphenidate (Ritalin), MiPLA, Morphine, MXiPr, Naloxone, Nitazene opioid, Noopept, O-Desmethyltramadol (O-DSMT), Opium, Oxycodone (OxyContin), Oxymorphone, Phencyclidine (PCP), Phenidate, Protonitazene, Tapentadol, Tramadol, Z-Drugs (Zolpidem, Zopiclone, Zaleplon).
Unknown includes samples that did not have a recorded expected drug.
Polysubstance includes samples that had two or more expected drugs (e.g., fentanyl and methamphetamine).
Frequency service user expectations are met
We consider a service user’s expectation met if the only drug found in their sample is the drug their sample was got or bought as (i.e., expected). This graph shows how often drug samples meet service user expectations. It can be filtered by the month a sample was checked. Note that this graph does not include used equipment samples.
Met expectation: The expected drug was the only drug found. For example, if a sample was expected to be fentanyl and only fentanyl was found, or the only substances found were fentanyl and mannitol (a non-drug filler), we consider that sample having met the service user’s expectation.
Did not meet expectation: The expected drug was not found or, more commonly, the expected drug was found in combination with other drug(s) the service user did not expect. For example, if a sample was expected to be fentanyl and fentanyl was not found or, more commonly, fentanyl was found with caffeine and bromazolam (i.e., other drugs the service user didn’t expect), we consider that sample not having met the service user’s expectation.
Expected heroin: For this graph, if the drugs found were heroin, or heroin and drugs similar to heroin (6-MAM, codeine, morphine, papaverine), we consider that sample to have met the service user’s expectation.
Expected ketamine: For this graph, if drugs found were ketamine or ketamine and drugs similar to ketamine (2-fluoro-2-oxo PCE, deschloroketamine (DCK), fluorexetamine (FXE), norketamine), we consider that sample having met the service user’s expectation.
Expected MDMA: For this graph, if drugs found were MDMA or MDMA and drugs similar to MDMA (MBDB, MDA, MDA-related, MDDMA, MDEA, MDMA methylene homolog), we consider that sample having met the service user’s expectation.
Expected methamphetamine: For this graph, if drugs found were methamphetamine or methamphetamine and drugs similar to methamphetamine (dimethylamphetamine), we consider that sample having met the service user’s expectation.
Grouped noteworthy drug trends in expected fentanyl samples
This graph shows how often various groups of noteworthy drugs are found in samples expected to be fentanyl. It can be filtered by sample type and the month a sample was checked. This graph includes samples where the expected drug fentanyl was not found.
Noteworthy drugs are drugs that (i) are linked to overdose or other adverse effects, (ii) are highly potent or related to highly potent drugs, or (iii) may not be desired by some service users.
Barbiturates include butalbital, phenobarbital, primidone.
Benzodiazepine-related drugs include alprazolam (Xanax), bromazolam, clonazepam, clonazolam, desalkylflurazepam, desalkylgidazepam, deschloroetizolam, diazepam (Valium), ethylbromazolam, etizolam, flualprazolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, flurazepam, meclonazepam, nordiazepam, temazepam.
Fentanyl-related drugs include fentanyl, 4-fluorobutyrylfentanyl (4-FBF)/4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, bromofentanyl, butyryl fentanyl/isobutyryl fentanyl, carfentanil, fluorofentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, furanylethyl fentanyl, methylfentanyl-related, N-methyl norcarfentanil, valeryl fentanyl, β-hydroxy fentanyl.
Nitazene opioids include 5-aminoisotonitazene, butonitazene, etodesnitazene, etonitazene, etonitazepyne, isotonitazene/protonitazene, metonitazene, N-desethyl etonitazene, N-desethyl isotonitazene/N-desethyl protonitazene, protodesnitazene.
Opioid-related drugs include furanyl UF-17, U-51754.
Synthetic cannabinoid-related drugs include AB-FUBINACA, ACHMINACA, AMB-FUBINACA.
Veterinary tranquilizers include medetomidine, xylazine.
Individual noteworthy drug trends in expected fentanyl samples
This graph shows how often individual noteworthy drugs are found in samples expected to be fentanyl. It can be filtered by drug found group, sample type, and the month a sample was checked. Selecting a specific drug group will display trends for all drugs within that category over time. For example, choosing the fentanyl-related group will show the trends for all drugs classified as fentanyl-related. This graph includes samples where fentanyl was expected but not found.
Noteworthy drugs are drugs that (i) are linked to overdose or other adverse effects, (ii) are highly potent or related to highly potent drugs, or (iii) may not be desired by some service users.
Number of high-potency opioids in expected fentanyl samples
We classify an opioid “high-potency” if it is considered to be as strong as or stronger than fentanyl. This graph shows how often samples expected to be fentanyl contain multiple high-potency opioids. It can be filtered by sample type and the month a sample was checked.
High-potency opioids found include carfentanil, etonitazene, etonitazepyne, fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, isotonitazene/protonitazene, isotonitazepyne/protonitazepyne, methylfentanyl-related, metonitazene, N-desethyl etonitazene, N-desethyl isotonitazene/N-desethyl protonitazene, ocfentanil, protodesnitazene, β-hydroxy fentanyl.
Other drugs found
This graph shows the drugs most commonly found alongside the expected drug in drug samples checked. Drugs found are presented as a proportion of all drug samples that contained the expected drug, meaning those that contained only the expected drug and those that contained the expected drug in combination with other drugs. Drug samples that did not contain the expected drug have been excluded. It can be filtered by the expected drug and the month a sample was checked. Note that this graph does not include used equipment samples.
! Unexpected noteworthy drug: “Noteworthy drugs” are drugs that (i) are linked to overdose or other adverse effects, (ii) are highly potent or related to highly potent drugs, or (iii) may not be desired by some service users. Noteworthy drugs are flagged when they are unexpectedly found in checked samples.
Amount of drugs found
This table shows information related to the amount (i.e., quantity or concentration) of certain drugs found in drug samples checked each month. It can be filtered by the expected drug, the drug found, and the month a sample was checked. The unit of measurement can be changed from % of the total sample to mg of a standard 10 mg sample.
Average* amount found: Represents the median amount (i.e., quantity or concentration) of the drug found in the specified # of drug samples.
Quantified results are only available for drug samples that are powders or crushed bits of a pill. Currently, we can quantify alprazolam (Xanax), bromazolam, caffeine, fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, medetomidine, methylfentanyl-related drugs, primidone, and xylazine. In addition, we previously quantified carfentanil, cocaine, etizolam, flubromazepam, heroin, and phenacetin.
Noteworthy drugs found
This table shows all of the noteworthy drugs we have found. For each noteworthy drug, we share when we first found it, how many samples we have found it in since, and what expected drug we most commonly find it in. It can be filtered by the month a noteworthy drug was first found.
Noteworthy drugs are drugs that (i) are linked to overdose or other adverse effects, (ii) are highly potent or related to highly potent drugs, or (iii) may not be desired by some service users.
Note: While Toronto’s Drug Checking Service checks both drug samples and used drug equipment, some graphs include findings from drug samples only. Equipment, like cookers, is often re-used. The mass spectrometry technologies used for this drug checking service are so sensitive that very trace amounts of drugs may be found. This means that when equipment is re-used, drugs from past use may present in the results for the sample that is being checked. This can interfere with up-to-date drug supply monitoring and, for that reason, used equipment has been excluded from these graphs.