‘I want to know what I’m taking’—long-term evaluation of the drug checking service in Slovenia and its integration into drug policy

Background This study presents a long-term evaluation of the Slovenian drug checking service (DCS), focusing on service utilization, drug market trends, and its role in reaching hidden populations of people who use drugs (PWUD). In Slovenia, the DCS evolved from nongovernmental organization-led initiatives into a nationally funded and policy-integrated public health measure.Methods We analyzed data collected through questionnaires completed by PWUD at the time of sample submission (n = 2,759) and later upon receiving the test results (n = 153).Results A key finding is that the service effectively reaches hidden populations, as 82.9% of service users had no prior contact with any drug support services. Analysis of 5,518 samples revealed cocaine and MDMA as the most frequently submitted substances and led to the identification of numerous new psychoactive drugs, resulting in an average of 24 public health warnings per year.Conclusions The Slovenian DCS demonstrates its value as a key public health tool for drug market monitoring and harm reduction counseling. The DCS has the potential to contribute to risk reduction by providing PWUD with crucial information. This is supported by findings that nearly a quarter of service users expressed an intention not to use a substance after receiving an unexpected result.