What NIST is doing to help

As the nation’s chemical measurements laboratory, 

NIST is developing new tools and methods to help 

public health and law enforcement agencies combat 

fentanyl and other synthetic drugs. Our efforts, 

part of NIST’s Forensic Science Research Program, 

are strategically focused on three areas where new 

technology can have the greatest impact.

Background

• More than 107,000 people died of drug overdoses in the 

United States in 2021 – the highest annual death toll ever 

recorded.

• This spike in deaths is being driven by fentanyl, a 

synthetic opioid that mimics the effects of heroin but is 

far more potent. 

• To mount an effective response, public health and law 

enforcement authorities need to detect and identify 

fentanyl and related compounds quickly, reliably and 

safely.

• This is a particular challenge because fentanyl is 

hazardous to handle, hard to detect and difficult to 

identify in the lab.

• The need for better laboratory methods is an oftenoverlooked aspect in the fight against illegal drugs.

NIST Researchers Develop New Tools to 

Combat Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Heroin

Fentanyl and 

related drugs

Cocaine

Methamphetamine 

and other stimulants

Prescribed opioids 

such as oxycodone

Drug overdose deaths in the United States by drug category. 

Based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1. Monitoring the illicit drug supply 

2. Safe handling in the field and the lab

3. Rapid identification of new substances

4. Stopping fentanyl before it enters the country

More details on p. 2.
4. Stopping fentanyl before it enters the country

Most fentanyl used illegally in the U.S. originates in China 

and arrives directly by international post and delivery 

services or overland via Mexico. NIST researchers have:

• Investigated new methods for high-throughput, 

hands-off screening of packages at postal inspection 

facilities.

• Tested chemical detection technologies for screening 

vehicles at border crossings.

• Developed an “artificial dog nose” that can boost the 

detection capabilities of chemical sensors.

• Developed new ways to safely train dogs to detect

fentanyl and other substances without risk of 

exposure during training.

1. Monitoring the illicit drug supply

New compounds constantly appear in the illegal 

drug supply, creating new and often unknown risks. 

NIST is working to monitor these changes so that 

law enforcement and public health authorities can 

respond more quickly to emerging threats. NIST 

researchers are:

• Analyzing residues from illegally purchased 

drugs to determine the chemical compounds the 

drugs contain.

• Monitoring the prevalence of xylazine, fentanyl, 

fentanyl analogues, and other drugs in the illegal 

drug supply.

• Sharing the data with public health authorities, 

who use it in harm reduction efforts that involve 

education and outreach to people who use drugs.

3. Rapid identification of new substances

New fentanyl variants, or analogues, can be far more 

potent and deadly than the original. They can also 

be difficult to detect and identify using traditional 

laboratory methods. NIST researchers are:

• Developing new software that can help forensic 

chemists identify novel fentanyl analogues.

• Adding new “molecular fingerprints” to chemical 

identification databases.

• Providing quality control for the SWGDRUG 

databases that forensic chemists use to identify 

novel substances.

• Built a global online platform where law 

enforcement and forensic chemists share data on 

new drug analogues.

2. Safe handling in the field and the lab

Traditional evidence handling and drug testing methods 

pose a risk of accidental exposure via inhalation, which can 

be dangerous or deadly. NIST researchers have:

• Validated new methods for identifying the contents 

of suspicious packages without opening them, which 

reduces the risk of accidental exposure.

• Developed new laboratory workflows that separate 

hazardous substances for special handling, which speeds 

up workflow without compromising safety or reliability.

• Developed protocols for minimizing the spread of drug 

residues in laboratories. These residues increase the risk 

of workplace exposure and can compromise laboratory 

measurements.

• Published validation protocols so other labs can 

implement these solutions across the nation and 

at scale.

NIST is developing these new methods in collaboration with forensic laboratories and law 

enforcement and public health agencies and is committed to helping them successfully integrate 

these solutions into their operations. NIST is also addressing measurement challenges of other 

drugs such as xylazine; cannabinoids and cathinones; and complex mixtures of synthetic opioids 

with cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. For more information, visit www.NIST.gov/opioids.