Those who use drugs often stick to what they know. Broadly speaking, gay and straight drug scenes have differences, with different drugs used in different settings. LGBT+ and non-LGBT people use drugs in social settings, such as pubs, clubs and festivals, usually for a few hours, a night or a weekend. But for gay men especially, there are spaces and scenes where drugs are used to promote and enhance sex, typically drugs like crystal meth (‘T’), mephedrone (‘M’), and GHB/GBL (‘G’). Historically, this has not usually included the opioid heroin. It is rarely used to enhance sex in the way stimulants are. Its effects are more likely to suppress libido and sexual function.

Newer drugs on the block

Heroin has become harder to source in parts of the UK, and this shortage is being filled by far more powerful synthetic opioids1, with growing evidence that synthetic opioids such as nitazenes2 and fentanyl3 are increasingly available in the UK’s recreational drug supply. Hundreds of deaths have been linked to potent synthetic opioids since 2023.4

Drug dealers

Drug dealers provide a wide range of drugs to a wide range of clients. Whether it’s ‘T’, ‘G’, ‘M’, ‘K’, ‘E’, coke, speed, acid or cannabis, they still need to be weighed, packaged and distributed, and cross-contamination can happen during that process.

This is particularly risky if drugs are contaminated with synthetic opioids. With some synthetic opioids, a tiny amount — sometimes invisible to the naked eye — can be enough to cause life-threatening overdose. Even residue or ‘dust’ from a previous batch may be dangerous. Tiny traces of these potent synthetic opioids may end up in your ‘T’, ‘G’ or ‘M’, meaning you can take what you think is your drug of choice and still overdose.

Having a conversation

It’s understandable to assume a level of familiarity or ‘trust’ with your dealer. Perhaps you believe any problems will happen elsewhere in the supply chain, not within your own network, so why risk having an awkward conversation about contamination risks? They want repeat business, so it’s unlikely they would set out to harm you.

It may feel awkward, but it’s a practical step. A simple, direct conversation with your dealer, or whoever is supplying your chems, about how they handle, weigh, package and store drugs may reduce some risk, raise awareness and keep the issue relevant. You’re not being difficult: you’re protecting yourself and the people you use with.

Practical tips

Here’s a practical list of how cross-contamination can happen, so it can be reduced:

  • Using the same scoop or spoon for different powders without cleaning.
  • Taring or weighing multiple drugs on the same scale platform.
  • Pouring or tapping powders from one bag into another so residue falls into the next packet.
  • Shaking or handling multiple bags with the same hands or gloves.
  • Re-using unwashed funnels, paper or makeshift scoops, such as cards or folded paper.
  • Cutting or dividing blocks or tablets with the same blade or knife without wiping.
  • Storing different drugs in the same container or on the same surface.
  • Transferring via fingers that touch one product then another.
  • Dust or aerosol spread when scraping, chopping or powdering near other stock.
  • Using communal trays, chopping boards or workbenches with residue.
  • Re-using packaging, such as old bags or foil, that still holds traces.
  • Liquids or solvents nearby picking up drug residue and transferring it.

Self-test strips

Fentanyl test strips and nitazene test strips are available and are widely used harm-reduction tools, but they have major limitations. A negative result on a strip is not a guarantee of safety. It only means the strip did not detect the specific substance it was designed to detect. New nitazenes and other synthetic opioids continue to appear, and test strips may not detect them, which can result in a false negative.

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1 Man-made substances in laboratories.
2 Highly potent synthetic opioids, with some variants significantly more potent than heroin.
3 A powerful synthetic opioid, 50-100 times more potent than morphine.
4 Of the 5,565 registered deaths in England and Wales in 2024 (up 2.1% from 2023) nearly half (47%) involved an opioid. Deaths involving nitazenes quadrupled in a year, from 52 in 2023 to 195 in 2024. However, this data does not include “cross-contamination” deaths. Half of all reported deaths involve more than one substance (e.g., cocaine mixed with alcohol or heroin mixed with benzodiazepines) so opioid-related deaths may be much higher than official records indicate.

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