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What other drugs can wastewater track?

Wastewater testing, like that used to track cocaine in the story, is a clever way to monitor drug use across communities. Scientists can detect traces of many substances, including MDMA, heroin, and cannabis, as well as new psychoactive substances. This helps authorities understand drug trends and public health challenges.

Stories that explain this

Britain Took About 2.5bn Lines of Cocaine in a Year

Questions this opens up

How accurate is wastewater testing? Who does the wastewater testing? What are new psychoactive substances?

Related explainers

How big is the UK cocaine market? Why is cocaine use increasing? Where are sewage samples taken? How do they know how much cocaine? How violent are cocaine crimes? Who tracks drug side effects? How does AI develop drugs? How does AI help drug discovery?

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