CDEWS staff work with testing programs at criminal justice agencies and hospitals to obtain a sample of urine specimens that are ready to be discarded. These de-identified specimens are sent to the collaborating CDEWS laboratory to test each specimen for an expanded panel of over 150 licit and illicit drugs, including opioids, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, synthetic cannabinoids, and other new psychoactive substances (NPS).

The Community Drug Early Warning System (CDEWS) project is funded by the Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The information and opinions expressed herein are the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ONDCP or any agency of the Federal Government.