In a landmark harm reduction move, drug testing is to be piloted at the Electric Picnic

History will be made at the Electric Picnic as the Health Service Executive operates Ireland’s first pilot drug testing service. It will involve back-of-the-house testing with festival-goers able to deposit drugs in Surrender bins in the HSE Harm Reduction Tent and other medical facilities. If any causes for concern arise from the resulting chemical analysis – unusually high potency, dangerous contaminants etc. – warnings will be issued through social media channels.

The first time drugs have legally been tested here outside of official state labs, the initiative is part of the HSE's broader #SaferNightLife initiative. Earlier this week, Hot Press reported on the joint HSE and Merchants Quay Ireland Syringe Analysis Pilot Project 2022, which confirmed the widespread adulteration of street drugs here.

'Drug Control' stalls have been commonplace at clubs and festivals in Holland for almost twenty years, with the early warning system they provide credited with saving hundreds of lives. In the UK, the award-winning https://wearetheloop.org has been drug testing since 2013 with similarly impressive results. The idea has been floated before in Ireland, but always ran into legal difficulties. With the Minister for Drugs, Frank Feighan, present at this morning's Dublin launch that is obviously no longer an issue.

“I am pleased to launch this new project as part of our efforts to reduce drug-related harm in Ireland," says HSE National Clinical Lead, Professor Eamon Keenan. "In September 2021, we launched the Report of the Emerging Drug Trends and Drug Checking Working Group which included a series of recommendations such as providing harm reduction and drug monitoring in festival settings.

“We are currently very concerned about the emergence of new psychoactive substances and high potency substances which pose a threat to health. This project will provide us with vital information that we otherwise can’t access in real time. While this is a progression, the HSE messaging will remain clear, it is safer not to use drugs at all. For those who choose to, they should still follow the practical steps recommended by the HSE to reduce the harms.

Professor Keenan continues: “We will issue a series of health information on social media before and during the event, I encourage the public to follow drugs.ie and engage with our teams at Electric Picnic. It is important to note that our results will only be representative of what is submitted and this will not guarantee the safety of drugs across the drug market.”

It's worth noting that drug testing was put into the Programme For Government by the Green Party whose Health Spokesperson, Neasa Hourigan TD, says: "I am very encouraged to see this trial start. It is a core initiative to move us away from a carceral drugs policy." Hot Press has advocated extensively on the issue, as have Students For Sensible Drug Policy and Sinn Féin Senator Fintan Warfield.

In the current issue of Hot Press, Electric Picnic head honcho Melvin Benn, who was also present at today's launch, says that, “Professor Eamon Keenan, Nicki Killeen and the rest of the Health and Safety Executive have been working on a new approach to harm reduction. That sort of drugs outreach is really important.”

He now adds: “Essentially this is Electric Picnic being a good citizen. The law remains that drugs are illegal and that will remain so at Electric Picnic. But we are committed to doing everything we can to make people safe and this process adds to that safety in the knowledge that drugs exist in all aspects of society and we welcome the HSE’s proactiveness in addressing the issue.”

The Electric Picnic has been a leader in the field of festival harm reduction here with Benn inviting the Ana Liffey Drug Project to set up an outreach programme at Stradbally in 2017, which resulted in hundreds of positive interactions with punters. The HSE will deploy 35 trained volunteers over the course of this year's Picnic weekend.

The news has also been welcomed by independent TD and medical marijuana campaigner Gino Kenny who says: "Anonymous drug testing is welcome and should have been implemented many years ago. Harm Reduction and a health led approach to drug use has to be consistent and eventually lead to less people been harmed and criminalised."

"Ana Liffey Drug Project, welcomes today's announcement that Back of House Drug Checking is to be piloted at this year's Electric Picnic," says the organisations' CEO Tony Duffin."For many years now, Drug Checking has been provided in countries across Europe; and further afield. We hope to see Drug Checking develop and to see its further roll out in other settings across Ireland."

"Really welcome news today - this will be an important aspect in our approach to harm reduction and something Sinn Féin has been calling for, for a long time," says their Cork North Central TD, Thomas Gould.

Here's some more reaction:

Delighted to launch our new project today!

We will be onsite at @EPfestival with our team of #HarmReduction volunteers and HSE lab, who will analyse drugs via a 'back of house' approach through surrender bins.
Follow @drugsdotie for updates and alerts.#ReduceTheHarms pic.twitter.com/uAXpbvkWwl

— Nicki Killeen (@nickikilleen) August 18, 2022

Today, the first monitoring programme to analyse drugs to provide real time information at a festival setting as part of overall efforts to reduce drug-related harm in Ireland was launched. pic.twitter.com/q18WdnY4QC

— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) August 18, 2022

@HSELive new pilot programme to learn more about #DrugTrends in nightlife & festival settings to help with harm reduction efforts.

Delighted our Lab Staff @DrugsHse will carryout analysis with the support of colleague’s from @drugsdotie @HSE_SI @gardainfo pic.twitter.com/Oh9JZOhBPJ

— Bill Ebbitt 🇮🇪 💚 🇺🇦 (@EbbittWilliam) August 18, 2022

A first of its kind, anonymous drug checking facility will operate at ⁦@EPfestival⁩ this year.

It’s a landmark harm reduction strategy aimed at promoting safety at festivals.

More details @virginmedianews at 12.30 pic.twitter.com/N1Tufv0j0N

— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) August 18, 2022

STATEMENT: Costello Welcomes New Sensible Policy to Test Drug Safety at Festivals. pic.twitter.com/1SUkNcJTBo

— Patrick Costello TD (@Costellop) August 18, 2022

https://www.hotpress.com/health/new-report-confirms-the-re-emergence-of-cocaine-injecting-in-ireland-the-widespread-adulteration-of-street-drugs-22924524