A Vermont health care center has announced it will start giving away free test strips to determine if a drug contains fentanyl.
The Howard Center in Burlington said Tuesday it's giving the fentanyl test strips to help prevent overdose deaths.
The strips work by dissolving a portion of the drug into water and dipping the strips. Lines will appear on the strips to indicate whether fentanyl is present.
Howard Center's Chief of Client Services Catherine Simonson tells WPTZ-TV the strips may not stop people from using, but they do change people's behavior. She says the center will remain committed to doing everything they can to help people stay alive.
Burlington will now join Philadelphia and San Francisco as the only cities that offer free fentanyl test strips.
