Government to monitor wastewater for opioids

The Danish government plans to analyze wastewater in its six largest cities to track opioid misuse, helping authorities target specific areas more effectively. Scheduled for presentation on Monday, the proposal is part of an initiative to tackle rising opioid misuse among youth. Screening in cities like Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, Esbjerg, and Næstved will involve weekly sample collections twice a year. This surveillance will aid institutions like the Statens Seruminstitut in gathering data on the prevalence of opioids, including identifying drugs like Tramadol, a commonly misused painkiller. While Health Minister Sophie Løhde previously questioned the efficacy of using wastewater analysis due to both legal and illegal opioid use, Maria Durhuus of the Social Democrats argues it’s crucial for understanding local opioid concentration levels and addressing the discrepancy between decreasing prescriptions and increasing fatalities.