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A WORKING GROUP to tackle drug use at festivals will finally be established next month after first being announced over two years ago.
It was first floated in the ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery‘ national drug strategy, launched by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Health Minister Simon Harris, and Minister with responsibility for drugs strategy Catherine Byrne, in July 2017.
The plan outlined a need to establish a working group to look at measures which could be introduced at venues where young people could be at risk due to mixing drugs with alcohol, including festivals and nightclubs.
Other parts of the national strategy have been progressed, including reforms in how those found with drugs in their possession for personal use are reprimanded, and earlier this year Byrne said in response to a Dáil question that the working group would be set up by the end of June.
That deadline was not met, but the Department of Health has now confirmed the group will be established next month.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, a spokesperson said: “As part of the National Drug and Alcohol Strategy ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery’ the HSE has committed to establishing a working group in September to examine the issue of emerging drug trends.”
It added that the HSE has begun research in this area and previously launched a harm reduction campaign for festival-goers.
Concerns have been raised over the delays in setting up the group and the length of time it will take to implement any agreed-upon measures.
“There is a focus on long-term planning with the working group because the strategy goes to 2025, which I respect,” Dawn Russell, Head of Services at the Ana Liffey Drug Project said.
“The HSE has launched a series of harm-reduction campaigns recently which is helpful but we would welcome the working group being in place to establish more in depth interventions like drug checking.
There’s a serious level of mixing of different types of drugs for the first time at festivals, specifically a combination of MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, and alcohol, which is really risky.
The working group is expected to consider amnesty bins, where festival-goers could dispose of their drugs, and on-site drug testing, where they could have their drugs tested and analysed scientifically.
Drug testing at festivals and welfare teams could mean the difference between life and death for some, according to advocates of the proposals.
Similar measures which have already been adopted in other countries across Europe. Festivals across the UK, The Netherlands, Spain and Portugal have introduced legal mobile drug-testing units on their sites.
This would not work in Ireland at present, as current legislation dictates that anyone found in possession of drugs runs the risk of being charged.
Russell said young people who are experimenting with drugs at these events want to talk about what they are taking before they do take it, but without testing on-site, they are at a loss.
“When talking to people in their late teens and early 20s, they are saying they didn’t usually take drugs but they were taking them because they were in party mode, so we need to work hard with them.”
The Ana Liffey Drug Project has been working with organisers of Electric Picnic in Co Laois and Life festival in Co Westmeath, providing welfare support staff on the ground, and offering advice to people who might want to take drugs.
“I really found at both festivals, EP in the last couple of years and Life this year, there is an openness and maturity in people coming to our drug workers… I was working with people from ages 18 to 25 and they were mature about it, and they were looking for help,” Russell said.
“We had hundreds of people coming up and talking to us.”
‘Wake up call’
Sinn Féin’s Health Spokesperson, Louise O’Reilly said she was disappointed that the death of a teenager at the Indiependence festival in Cork, appears to be the wake up call needed for harm reduction to be taken seriously.
“It’s hard to have confidence in the Department of Health and this working group when they’ve already missed their own deadline.” she said.
“The answer we get is ‘we’re working on it’ but there’s no evidence of that, it seems like it’s not a priority.
“It saddening to hear what happened, and of course sympathies to the family concerned, because what makes it even more tragic is when you consider that it was avoidable.
“I think it’s unfortunate that it should take a headline-grabbing news story, and a death in this incidence, to get the Government to act, and really serve as a wake up call.”
She added the work of the group “needs to be done in a timely manner, no primary research is needed because we see best practice already happening in other European countries”.
“If this working group is just another mechanism to delay any action then it won’t make any difference before next year’s festivals.”
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Drink causes more harm, results in more violence and needs far more policing.
@Peter McGlynn: correct…so let us introduce other drugs that also cause harm?
@SFNutters: There’s no introduction of other drugs. They are already there you numpty, So how about we provide a facility which will stop people dying!
@SFNutters: Introduce? They’ve already been here for a long time.
@SFNutters: How can you call anyone else a nutter? You’re either a troll or have serious learning disabilities.
@Peter McGlynn: so, the proposal is that the HSE would test the drugs and hand them back. What a load of nonsense.
Here’s an idea: have a few beers, enjoy the music, have a dance, don’t take drugs.
@Chin Feeyin: No, the proposal is to allow people to confidentially check a small portion, which are then not returned. The results are provided (what exactly was in it along with how much) along with information and the risks associated with taking said drug (see the Loop https://wearetheloop.org/ ). Remember, a lot of the time the problem isnt the drug itself, its the unknown quanity or other substances they are mixed with that are the issue.
Ultimately the war on drugs hasn’t worked and now it is time for a new approach. However don’t take my word for it, take that of the Global Commission on Drugs Policy, a panel made up of world leaders and intellectuals – https://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/
A ‘working group’? Civil servants brought out of the tea room?
@WoodlandBard: more like td’s family members jumping on any bandwagon thats going ! so long as theres a few euro in it of course -or the odd free hotel stay with meals and a spa !!
“Emerging trends” Nope. People have been mixing drugs and alcohol at festivals and events for quite some time now.
If you ask me, everyone going into a festival site should be searched for illegal substances, and anyone found with them should be arrested and charged
@Peter Byrne: most people are searched there are ways and means to get things in, so isn’t it better that young people only starting out in life can have have whatever they might take tested, could save someone you knew life someday
@Peter Byrne: Good job nobody is asking you.
@Peter Byrne: nonsense talk Peter
Remember seeing a member of the drugs squad being pointed out by organisers down at the anti nuclear festival in Carnsore Point in the l978
Simple solution, dont buy drugs from anyone, you would not buy a burger from a man you meet in a festival field other than a genuine food stall, it’s not rocket science .
@Rob LLoyd: that is where the call to legalise and licence the selling of some class ‘c’ drugs would come in – allow registered stalls to sell small quantities of class ‘c’ drugs such as cannabis at these festivals etc at a fair price , anyone else caught selling or buying goes in front of the judge next day and faces a prison sentence .
@Eric Davies: “suspended sentence”
@Rob LLoyd: how old are you, ya degenerate
maybe if the judiciary gave those found selling the ‘dodgy’ drugs a much harder sentence it might cut down on the amount of dodgy gear out there – at the moment its a suspended sentence or 100 euro in the church poor box – sell ‘life threatening’ gear – get charged with attempted manslaughter or if a person dies – manslaughter .
Do UK, Spain and Portugal not charge people for possession of drugs?
@Kath Noonan: all drugs decriminalized in Portugal, weed is in spain and testing offered the UK has decriminalized weed and then changed its class again and now are debating to legalize!! Testing is offered on drugs
@Kath Noonan: In the Uk at least practical considerations on health trump criminal prosecution
“At least six UK music festivals are expected to allow people to test their illegal drugs this summer. It’s after a number of drug-related deaths in recent years. Reading and Leeds Festivals and a number of other live music events are aiming to introduce the scheme with the support of local police” http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39996522/six-uk-music-festivals-are-to-allow-drug-testing-including-reading-and-leeds
How about drug testing in the Dail ….
@Chris OB: “but they were taking them because they were in party mode”
Just legalize Cannabis, MDMA, LSD and Psilocybin. Let professional manufacturers manufacture them under stringent regulations with regard to potency, purity and quality control. Let them be sold subject to strict regulations like tobacco and alcohol by licensed vendors who would have a LEGAL obligation of duty of care regarding to whom they can be sold, quantity sold etc . Start a public information campaign with FACTUAL information re the risks of taking said substances and how to minimize same. Most of the morbidity and mortality associated with these drugs is a direct consequence of their illegality i.e people are taking substances that are impure or whose potency is unknown, or that is often not even the substances that the dealers purport them to be and instead are more dangerous (and cheaper) derivatives. Every one of the above named substances, in its pure form, is less dangerous than alcohol in both the short and long term negative effects. MDMA, LSD and psilopsybin are not associated with addiction/dependence. The current legal regime regarding these substances is CAUSING deaths and morbidity unnecessarily.
So they want to test illegal drugs to see if they are “good” illegal drugs. Have I got that right?
It would be also great if you could hire adult baby sitters at festivals who follow you around sober and stop you from doing stupid sh*t!…. “you don’t need that Sean, you’ve had enough”.
@Cupid Stunt: how long before it would be…
‘You don’t need that Sean’
‘Here, I’m paying you, feck off and find me some drugs!’
If you decide to take drugs it’s a personal choice,and What ever happens ,happens
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