Drug Test - Huntsville, AL

Huntsville, Alabama - Drug Testing

Substance Abuse Trends and Statistics for the City of Huntsville, AL, and Madison County

Notable Historical Events Related to Drug Use in Huntsville, AL

In July of 2022, in Huntsville and Madison County, fentanyl was suspected in six overdose deaths within a 48-hour period. These deaths were reported between 3 a.m. on a Sunday and 2 p.m. Tuesday. Dr. Tyler Berryhill, Madison County Coroner, said that they usually see one drug-related death every 72 hours. Berryhill said that a tainted batch had hit the streets, and these deaths were accidental overdoses. Resident Agent In-Charge of the Huntsville Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) office, Peter Gruden, said, "When you hear of a rash of fentanyl deaths, that's usually the reason it's because they didn't know what they were taking."

Community Efforts to Address Drug Problems in Huntsville, AL

With the number of fentanyl overdoses rising in Huntsville and Madison County, AL, the Partnership for a Drug-Free Community has plans to make available fentanyl test strips to drug users. The test strips are meant for drug users who are not interested in taking fentanyl but are concerned they'll get fentanyl while taking another drug. Wendy Reeves, the executive director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free Community, said that you can't stop people from taking drugs, but the test strips can warn users if their drugs are laced with fentanyl. "It is something that people can use to help protect themselves," Reeves said, "We have a lot of drug use in our community."