Nantucket Testing Sewage for Drug Use

Nantucket, known for its summer attractions, is set to start testing sewage for cocaine and other substances to monitor drug use among residents, officials announced. The aim is to pinpoint when drug use spikes, particularly during the busy summer and holiday seasons.

Health officials in Nantucket hope that understanding these trends will aid their outreach efforts for recovery in the community. Jellome, the director of human services for the town, mentioned that while there are general assumptions about drug use, concrete data can really help clarify the situation. “It’s better to rely on data rather than just our instincts,” he noted.

The testing will be conducted by Biobot, a company that specializes in analyzing wastewater. Starting this month, they’ll look into substances like fentanyl, opiates, methamphetamine, and nicotine at the island’s wastewater treatment plant.

The goal, as outlined in an email, is to collaborate with local drug rehabilitation centers and healthcare providers to better assist individuals struggling with addiction based on the testing outcomes.

“If we can gather consistent data on drug use, we may evaluate whether interventions actually influence consumption rates,” Mele, another official, stated. The project represents Nantucket’s second venture into wastewater testing, following a 2020 initiative that monitored Covid-19 levels.

While the results from these drug tests will not be made public, authorities do plan to share them with medical partners. The extent of drug use on the island, which has a seasonal population of around 14,000, remains somewhat uncertain.

The National Drug Intelligence Center has identified cocaine—especially crack cocaine—as a significant drug threat in Nantucket and surrounding areas since 2001.