SAMHSA Prohibits Use Of Grant Funding For Fentanyl Test Strips & Overdose Hotlines In Updated Guidance

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) added two more substance use harm reduction practices that cannot be supported by grant funding, according to guidance issued on April 24, 2026, that updates guidance issued on July 29, 2025. Both guidance documents emphasize a federal shift away from certain harm reduction practices. The April guidance explicitly prohibits the use of grant funding to supply fentanyl test strips or fund overdose hotlines that provide only a virtual or telephonic companion to people using drugs. Neither had been mentioned in the July guidance.

The July guidance outlined the administration’s shift . . .