Our research is published across numerous peer-reviewed journals, helping to inform public health policy, drug checking protocols, and addiction epidemiology in Canada and around the world.
For more information about the BCCSU drug checking evaluation, please visit https://www.bccsu.ca/drug-checking-evaluation/.
2024
Author reply to letter to the editor in response to ‘Fentanyl concentration in drug checking samples and risk of overdose death in Vancouver, Canada’.
Kennedy MC, Dong H, Tobias S, et al. (2024) Author reply to letter to the editor in response to ‘Fentanyl concentration in drug checking samples and risk of overdose death in Vancouver, Canada’. Am J Prev Med. 2024;66(2):386-387. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2023.10.002
2023
What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on the variability of fentanyl concentrations in the Vancouver, Canada illicit drug supply? An interrupted time-series analysis.
Tobias S, Grant CJ, Laing R, et al. What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on the variability of fentanyl concentrations in the Vancouver, Canada illicit drug supply? An interrupted time-series analysis. BMJ Public Health. 2023;1:e000197. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000197
Responding to changes in the unregulated drug supply: The need for a dynamic approach to drug checking technologies.
Bhuiyan I, Tobias S, & Ti L. Responding to changes in the unregulated drug supply: The need for a dynamic approach to drug checking technologies. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2023.2226312
Development of a neural network model to predict the presence of fentanyl in community drug samples.
Ti L, Grant CJ, Tobias S, et al. Development of a neural network model to predict the presence of fentanyl in community drug samples. PLoS ONE. 2023;18(7):e0288656. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288656
Examining fentanyl and its analogues in the unregulated drug supply of British Columbia, Canada using drug checking technologies:
Crepeault H, Socias ME, Tobias S, Lysyshyn M, Custance A, Shapiro A, Ti L. Examining fentanyl and its analogues in the unregulated drug supply of British Columbia, Canada using drug checking technologies. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2023;42(3):538-543. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13580
2022
Time-series analysis of fentanyl concentration in the unregulated opioid drug supply in a Canadian setting:
Tobias S, Grant CJ, Laing R, et al. Time-series analysis of fentanyl concentration in the unregulated opioid drug supply in a Canadian setting. Am J Epidemiol. 2022;191(2):241-247. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwab129
Changes in the unregulated opioid drug supply during income assistance payment weeks in Vancouver, Canada: An exploratory analysis:
Beaulac M, Richardson L, Tobias S, Lysyshyn M, Grant C, Ti L. Changes in the unregulated opioid drug supply during income assistance payment weeks in Vancouver, Canada: An exploratory analysis. Int J Drug Policy. 2022;105:103707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103707 [Epub ahead of print]
Respond to “Novel surveillance of the unregulated drug supply”:
Tobias S, Lysyshyn M, Buxton J, Tupper K, Ti L. Tobias et al. Respond to “Novel surveillance of the unregulated drug supply”. Am J Epidemiol. 2022;191(2):253-254. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwab234
2021
Is expected substance type associated with timing of drug checking service utilization?: A cross-sectional study:
Beaulieu T, Wood E, Tobias S, et al. Is expected substance type associated with timing of drug checking service utilization?: A cross-sectional study. Harm Reduct J. 2021;18(66):1-4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-021-00514-3
Identifying cocaine adulteration in the unregulated drug supply in British Columbia, Canada:
Patel P, Guzman S, Lysyshyn M, et al. Identifying cocaine adulteration in the unregulated drug supply in British Columbia, Canada. Can J Addict. 2021;12(2):39-44. https://doi.org/10.1097/CXA.0000000000000112
An outbreak of novel psychoactive substance benzodiazepines in the unregulated drug supply: Preliminary results from a community drug checking program using point-of-care and confirmatory methods:
Laing MK, Ti L, Marmel A, et al. An outbreak of novel psychoactive substance benzodiazepines in the unregulated drug supply: Preliminary results from a community drug checking program using point-of-care and confirmatory methods. Int J Drug Policy. 2021;93:103169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo/2021.103169
The utility of visual appearance in predicting the composition of street opioids:
McCrae K, Wood E, Lysyshyn M, et al. The utility of visual appearance in predicting the composition of street opioids. Subst Abus. 2021;42(4):775-779. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2020.1864569
Drug checking identifies counterfeit alprazolam tablets:
Tobias S, Shapiro A, Grant C, Patel P, Lysyshyn M, Ti L. Drug checking identifies counterfeit alprazolam tablets. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021;218:108300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108300
Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoid Adulteration in the Unregulated Drug Supply in Three Canadian Settings:
Ti, L., Tobias, S., Maghsoudi, N., et al. Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoid Adulteration in the Unregulated Drug Supply in Three Canadian Settings. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2021;40(4):580-585. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13237
2020
Assessing the limit of detection of Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and immunoassay strips for fentanyl in a real‐world setting:
McCrae K, Tobias S, Grant C, et al. Assessing the limit of detection of Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and immunoassay strips for fentanyl in a real‐world setting. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2020;39(1):98-102. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13004
Xylazine identified in the unregulated drug supply in British Columbia:
Tobias S, Shapiro A, Wu H, Ti L. Xylazine identified in the unregulated drug supply in British Columbia. Can J Addict. 2020;11(3):28-32. https://doi.org/10.1097/CXA.0000000000000089
A field assessment of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and fentanyl immunoassay strips as point-of-care drug checking technologies:
Yau B, Arredondo J, Tobias S, et al. A field assessment of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and fentanyl immunoassay strips as point-of-care drug checking technologies. The British Columbia Centre on Substance Use. 2020. https://www.bccsu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/FTIR_TestStrip_Field_Assessment-Sept2019.pdf
Detection of etizolam, flualprazolam, and flubromazolam by benzodiazepine-specific lateral flow immunoassay test strips:
Shapiro A, Sim D, Wu H, et al. Detection of etizolam, flualprazolam, and flubromazolam by benzodiazepine-specific lateral flow immunoassay test strips. The British Columbia Centre on Substance Use. 2020. https://www.bccsu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/BenzoTestStrip_Report.pdf
Effect of witnessing an overdose on the use of drug checking services among people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada:
Beaulieu T, Hayashi K, Nosova E, et al. Effect of witnessing an overdose on the use of drug checking services among people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2020;46(4):506-511. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2019.1708087
The effect of injecting alone on the use of drug checking services among people who inject drugs:
McCrae K, Hayashi K, Bardwell G, et al. The effect of injecting alone on the use of drug checking services among people who inject drugs. Int J Drug Policy. 2020;79:102756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102756
Detecting fentanyl using point-of-care drug checking technologies: A validation study:
Ti L, Tobias S, Lysyshyn M, et al. Detecting fentanyl using point-of-care drug checking technologies: A validation study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020;212:108006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108006
Factors associated with the drug checking service utilization among people use who use drugs in a Canadian setting:
Long V, Arredondo J, Ti L, et al. Factors associated with the drug checking service utilization among people use who use drugs in a Canadian setting. Harm Reduct J. 2020;17(100):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1086/s12954-020-00454-4
2019
“We don’t got that kind of time, man. We’re trying to get high!”: Exploring potential use of drug checking technologies among structurally vulnerable people who use drugs:
Bardwell G, Boyd J, Tupper KW, Kerr T. “We don’t got that kind of time, man. We’re trying to get high!”: Exploring potential use of drug checking technologies among structurally vulnerable people who use drugs. Int J Drug Policy. 2019;71:125-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.06.018
Drug checking services at music festivals and events in a Canadian setting:
McCrae K, Tobias S, Tupper K, et al. Drug checking services at music festivals and events in a Canadian setting. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019;205:107589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107589
Trusting the source: The potential role of drug dealers in reducing drug-related harms via drug checking:
Bardwell G, Boyd J, Arredondo J, McNeil R, Kerr T. Trusting the source: The potential role of drug dealers in reducing drug-related harms via drug checking. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019;198:1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.01.035
2018
Initial results of a drug checking pilot program to detect fentanyl adulteration in a Canadian setting:
Tupper KW, McCrae K, Garber I, Lysyshyn M, Wood E. (2018). Initial results of a drug checking pilot program to detect fentanyl adulteration in a Canadian setting. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018;190:242-245. https://doi.org10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.06.020
Drug checking: a potential solution to the opioid overdose epidemic?:
Bardwell G, Kerr T. Drug checking: a potential solution to the opioid overdose epidemic? Subst Abuse Treat Prev and Policy. 2018;13(1):20. https://doi/org/10.1186/s13011-018-0156-3
