Background: While drug checking services are often viewed as a modern harm reduction innovation, they have a rich but understudied history in the United States. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, "street drug" analysis services analyzed and reported on illicit substances in the drug supply. Objectives: This study aims to (1) create a comprehensive dataset of historical drug checking results, (2) digitize and preserve underground newsletters for future research, and (3) analyze patterns in drug supply quality and harm reduction messaging during this era. Methods: We compiled and coded approximately 30,000 drug analysis results from historical reports, documenting alleged substances, tested contents, physical characteristics, purity, price, and location, among other features. We also conducted content analysis of hundreds of underground newsletters discussing drug analysis results and safe supply messaging.
Results: Analysis reveals significant rates of drug misrepresentation in the illicit market, with variations across substance types and geographical regions. Content analysis of underground newsletters demonstrates consistent themes advocating for safe supply and critiquing how drug prohibition compromises user safety. The newsletters also provide crucial context about data quality and reporting practices. Implications: This research illuminates enduring challenges in drug policy and harm reduction. Current restrictions on quantitative results reporting by anonymous drug checking services echo historical barriers to harm reduction efforts. These findings inform ongoing debates about drug checking services and evidence-based drug policy reform, highlighting the persistent tension between criminalization and public health approaches.