HSE to begin drug monitoring programme at Electric Picnic

The HSE in partnership with the Department of Health and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has launched plans for the first drug monitoring programme to analyse drugs to provide real time information at a festival setting.

This is part of overall efforts to improve emerging drug trend responses and to reduce drug-related harm in Ireland.

The pilot programme will initially take place at Electric Picnic next month and will be implemented as part of the HSE ‘Safer Nightlife’ harm reduction campaign which was launched earlier this year.

This pilot is being introduced so the HSE can gain knowledge on current drug market trends so they can improve harm reduction responses specific to nightlife settings.

The HSE aims to obtain substances by those engaged with their team at a designated tent and who choose to anonymously submit substances to a ‘surrender bin’ so the HSE can identify and communicate if extra dangerous substances are in circulation.

The HSE will also be in a position to analyse substances of concern identified by medics.

Professor Eamon Keenan, HSE National Clinical Lead, Addiction Services said: “I am pleased to launch this new project as part of our efforts to reduce drug-related harm in Ireland.

"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.

“We will issue a series of health information on social media before and during the event, I encourage the public to follow www.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.”

A laboratory will be established onsite and if a substance of concern is identified, the HSE will issue information to the public in attendance of the event with an aim to reduce the consumption of these substances and possible acute emergencies.

This approach is supported by the National Drug Strategy, The European Drug Strategy and is within the current Programme for Government and HSE National Service Plan.

Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic said: “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.”

This initiative is supported by the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána.

The HSE led surrender bin does not grant amnesty from arrest or prosecution for those found in possession of controlled drugs at the event and normal legislation and garda enforcement plans apply.