The Dope or Nope General drug test is the one to reach for when you are not sure what a sample is. Its reagent gives different colours for nine groups of common drugs, and the chart on the back of the pack shows which colour belongs to which group. The full chart is reproduced below.
What the General test checks
The front of the pack names the substances on its chart: methadone, barbiturates, ketamine, cocaine and crack, ephedrine, heroin, mescaline, (meth)amphetamines and MPA, methaqualone, methylphenidate, oxycodone and XTC (MDMA). On the back, they are grouped into nine coloured fields.
Some fields share a colour, or come close to each other. Cocaine and crack, and methaqualone and methylphenidate, are both orange on the chart; heroin and mescaline share black, and XTC (MDMA) is a very dark brown. So the General test narrows down the options. It rarely pins a sample to one substance on its own.
That makes it a good first step, followed by a specific test. Orange? Check with the cocaine test. Very dark brown? Use the ecstasy test or the MDMA purity test. And if nothing on the chart appears, the sample is none of these groups, which is a reason to throw it away, not to try it.
Colour chart
Reading the colour
| Substance on the chart | Colour on the chart |
|---|---|
| Methadone | pale yellow-green |
| Ephedrine | red |
| Methaqualone / methylphenidate | orange |
| Barbiturates / ketamine | yellow |
| Heroin / mescaline | black |
| Oxycodone | purple |
| Cocaine / crack | orange |
| (Meth)amphetamines / MPA | red-orange |
| XTC (MDMA) | very dark brown |
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| A colour that matches the chart | The sample probably contains (some of) the substance on the chart. It says nothing about the amount or about other substances. |
| No reaction, or a colour that is not on the chart | You are not dealing with the substance on the chart. What it is instead stays unknown: discard the sample. |
What a result tells you, and what it does not
A Dope or Nope test is a presence test. When the liquid turns a colour that is on the chart, the sample probably contains (some of) the substance or substance family named there. That is all the colour says.
- It does not measure purity or dose. The test does not show how much of the active substance is in your sample.
- It does not see everything. Another substance that the test does not recognise can sit in the same sample.
- It does not make anything safe. A matching colour is no promise of a safe experience. No drug use is without risk.
- No reaction, or a colour that is not on the chart, means you are not dealing with the substance on the chart. You then cannot say what the sample is. It might be harmless or extremely dangerous: throw it away.
The page on reading results explains false positives, false negatives and cutting agents in more detail.
Manual
How to use Dope or Nope
Use only a tiny bit of your sample, about the size of a pinhead.
- Take the ampoule
- Break the ampoule
- Add your sample
- Twist the top
- Put the top back on the ampoule
- Compare the colour
Before you start
Each pack holds one single-use test. Work on a clean, dry and stable surface in good light, and keep the leaflet with the colour chart next to you. Use only a tiny bit of your sample, about the size of a pinhead: that is what the pack asks for, and more material does not give a better reading.
The ampoule contains a strong acid. Keep it upright and point it away from your face when you break it. Use a new test for every sample: a pill from another batch or powder from another bag counts as a different sample.
Safety and storage
Using this test is at your own risk. It gives an indication of the identity of the active substance(s) and therefore cannot offer 100% certainty; no rights or guarantees can be derived from it. The liquid contains a strong acid: keep the test out of reach of children and avoid contact with eyes and skin, as it can cause irritation. If the liquid touches your skin or eyes, rinse with plenty of water.
Store the pack cool and dark, below 35 °C (95 °F), in its original packaging. The test is meant for adults (18+).
Next steps
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