Experts on drug wastewater analysis say it's time for policymakers to get onboard

For a group of leading experts, who have been meeting in the Portuguese capital this week, drug wastewater analysis is an exciting and "rapidly-developing scientific discipline" that may help shape the way we treat illicit drug use.

Drug wastewater analysis - which is also known as "wastewater sampling for drugs" - involves the analysis of human waste, usually at sewage treatment plants. It has been trialed in at least 19 European countries. And the experts say it can provide reliable data on what drugs are being consumed, where they are being consumed, and even on which days of the week.

The method was originally used in the 1990s to monitor the environmental impact of liquid household waste. But scientists now say the method is giving them a clear picture of the quantities of illicit drug use in any give population, and drug flows.

Read here the full article.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.