Missouri expands school sewer drug testing after powerful opioids found at 70% of tested schools

Missouri is making school wastewater drug testing mandatory for selected districts statewide after an earlier program detected a powerful synthetic opioid in about 70% of participating schools.

Starting next month, districts selected by the Department of Public Safety will be required to participate in wastewater testing for fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other dangerous drugs.

The expansion follows troubling results from the state's voluntary program. Nitazenes were detected in 26 of 37 schools tested earlier this year.

Some nitazenes can be five to 10 times more potent than fentanyl and have been found in counterfeit pills, illegal drugs and some unregulated vape products.

Several southwest Missouri schools recorded positive nitazene tests, including Cassville, Fair Grove, Marionville, Marshfield and Republic.

State officials stress that wastewater testing cannot identify an individual drug user. A positive result could come from a student, employee, visitor or another person using the sewer system.

The state budget includes $2 million for statewide fentanyl testing at schools and another $3 million for broader wastewater testing for fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics.

Officials hope to reach 150 schools during the first year.

Districts will be selected across all nine Highway Patrol troops to provide a mix of rural, suburban and urban schools.