Overdrive’s new fentanyl test kit hopes to change the way we take care of ourselves, and each other. The question will be: can it? Its founders think so. PAPER caught up with the brand’s team amid the launch of its new test kits, which feature multiple test strips, water pouches, and mini spoons for safe dosing. All in, it’s an entirely new way to party safer, there not being another retail product quite like it. Ryan Weaver, Overdrive’s creative and brand lead, told us: “A lot of people are scared of this vertical — many still see it as highly stigmatized and most weren’t willing to break from the usual ‘don’t do drugs’ message. At the same, we were building a dope team internally that really embraced the vibe.” When building the kit and Overdrive’s mission of safer consumption practices, the team “had a clear vision for what we wanted to do and the references that we wanted to build from. We ended up being like ‘fuck it let’s just get after it’ and just doing it ourselves.”
As for the kit’s design, Weaver says: “We’re really focused on elements that already show up in party culture; cigarette packs, tiny spoons, etc., so that the product fits seamlessly into what people already carry.”
The idea of purchasing such kits through official channels is relatively unheard of, at least for those partying since the olden days — even the 2010s. Weaver says that currently, “the Fentanyl Test Strips are available on our website and Amazon, but we’re planning to launch at physical retail soon.” It’s a big dream, but one carried on the back of founder Brian Bordainick’s Starface acne patches, which have become so ubiquitous, it’s almost hard to imagine a world without them. Bordainick tells PAPER: “One of the biggest takeaways from co-founding Starface was the power of reframing how people interact with deeply personal issues.” Like consumption, which Overdrive seeks to make safer, “acne had always been treated as something to conceal or hide — a source of embarrassment — and Starface flipped that script by turning a ‘flaw’ into something fun, visible and even celebrated.”
Those lessons fit right into Overdrive’s launch, Bordainick says. “We’re applying that same lesson: it’s not just about drug testing; it’s about empowering people to take more control over their decisions without shame or stigma.” Bordainick’s ultimate goal, with the team, is to “shift behavior and narrative — just like with Starface — creating a tool that makes drug safety feel approachable and even empowering.”
Beyond that, Bordainick also feels that “with over 100,000 overdose deaths last year, the fentanyl crisis is one of the most dangerous threats facing this generation, and I saw an opportunity to make a real difference.” Amy Emmerich, Interim General Manager, echoes this sentiment, telling PAPER that Overdrive is “committed” to working with harm reduction activists in an increasingly contentious nationwide fight for harm reduction and safe consumption. “To start, we donate product to community-based organizations nationwide and also set aside 1% of net revenue to donate to partner organizations working on the ground in local communities,” Emmerich says. Among those organizations is End Overdose, in Los Angeles, with 50 campuses nationwide and whose founder and CEO, Theo Krzywicki, sits on Overdrive’s Advisory Council.
Of course, products like Overdrive’s fentanyl testing kit might still be considered paraphernalia, so Emmerich adds that “these are potentially life saving tools and people in Texas, Iowa, North Dakota and Indiana don’t have access to them. To put some pressure on the state governments, we ran some pretty in your face mobile digital billboards which traveled around state capitals calling out the states in which these laws still exist.” In addition, the company donated test kits to organizations in the four states.
Of their hopes for the product, Weaver says: “15 years ago I had issues with cocaine and pills. When it came to hard shit like those substances, my need to push it and be immersive was dangerous. I think about how lucky I am that fentanyl wasn’t around like it is now when I was using.” Still, he adds: “I hope that people use Overdrive to help them get through the time in their lives when they need something so they can come out on the other side.”
In addition to fentanyl test kits, Overdrive has also launched a 3-in-1 drink spike defense test kit — the first and only kit to detect all three of the most common drink-spiking drugs.
Photos courtesy of Overdrive
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