App scans recreational drugs to educate users on dangers and side-effects

An app has been launched to reduce the harm caused by recreational drugs by allowing users to identify what pill they’re taking and understand the risks that come with it.

Pill-iD has been developed by UK creative technology agency Rehab and French advertising agency Herezie. With Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ending and clubs and festivals potentially reopening, the companies have said that the need for drug harm reduction is urgent.

Pill-iD is currently only a working prototype but Rehab and Herezie are aiming to release it by Winter 2021. It works by having users take a photo of a pill using their phone’s camera (they can also use an existing picture), which is then scanned using machine learning technology through a European drug database, before showing the user a match. If it is able, the database will identify the pill, it’s likely dosage, risk-level and predicted side effects.

The app isn’t designed to encourage drug use but is there to educate recreational drugs users on the known risks of the pills they’re taking. The aim of the project is to recognise the widespread usage of recreational drugs like MDMA and reduce harm.

Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) on drug use in England and Wales ending March 2020 showed that around 1.1 million people had taken a class A drug in the last year. Levels of drug use increased when people frequently visited nightclubs. ONS data showed that 42.5% of people who had visited a nightclub at least four times in one month reported using any drug in the last year. This was compared to 7.5% of users who had not visited a nightclub in the last month.

Rob Bennett, CEO of Rehab, commented: “The issue of recreational drugs and the need for harm reduction are a critical health problem across Europe, and we’re proud to have developed this app with Herezie. The topic is undoubtedly taboo for some, but our Hack Weeks all aim to address real, societal issues - which this very much is. Recreational drug use should not be encouraged, but using technology to help people absolutely should be. If we can save just one person’s life with this app, then we’ve done our job.”