The dual-sensor method combines two parallel measurements to achieve accurate detection. This method always requires the use of two SPEs and two samplings, but measurement time remains low due to the parallel character. Its key advantage is that, for https://soberhome.net/ each sample, the EP is recorded in two measuring conditions so each identification is well-founded. As expected, this method obtains the highest accuracy for the confiscated sample analysis in comparison to the standard methods (87.5%, Table 3).

drug use at music festivals

As a tens of thousands of young music fans await another festival season, new figures based on police activities at 10 major festivals over the past four years provide an insight into the range and scale of drugs seized. Finally, remember, drug testing can literally save your life, or someone else’s – if noxious substances are detected, the safety team can inform other festival goers that a specific type of pill should be avoided. We know some people will take drugs at festivals whatever we say so while we would still advocate avoiding illicit drugs altogether, we know that doesn’t work for everyone. We live in the real world and understand that people go through stages in their lives where they take risks and experiment.

Shortcomings of single sensors for multidrug detection

Festival-goers would be able to bring their drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, to a ‘testing tent’ and discover their ‘quality’. The Reading and Leeds festivals will allow attendees to bring illegal drugs to a ‘testing tent’. The system relies on police not enforcing the law when substances are handed over for testing.

  • If it all starts going wrong when you’re on it you’ll be stuck in a state of panic for the duration of the trip.
  • When you listen to music it releases dopamine, the same chemical in the brain that’s activated in drug, alcohol, food or other addictions.
  • More famously it was part of Hunter S Thompson’ contraband suitcase in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and played a semi-large part in sending him straight to Bat Country.
  • Indeed, the metrics displayed in Table 3 show that, of the two methods discussed, the proposed flowchart offers a good balance between being practical and providing accurate results for this set of target drugs.

They show that seizures of popular drugs such as cannabis and ecastasy have been in decline, possibly due factors such as changing behaviour, demographics and policing priorities. “Drugs are illegal because they are unsafe and that is the message that the police ought to be giving”, he added. Drugs are illegal because they are unsafe and that is the message that the police ought to be giving. The Government has ruled out offering any support before all restrictions on the roadmap are lifted which would be simply be too late for festivals this summer, the MPs said. The DCMS committee also said the Festival industry faces another “lost summer” directly as a result of the Government’s refusal to back insurance for events at risk of cancellation due to Covid-19 restrictions. Assistant Chief Constable Justin Bibby of Staffordshire Police told of a likely “increase in risk-taking behaviour this summer.

The euphoric rush of freedom that young people feel at this time, particularly following the tough exam period, leaves them more open to new experiences. Of festivals can end in tragedy for many, and unfortunately the statistics ring this true. In a 2016 feature by Vice, it was revealed that 13% of music festival deaths are caused by drug eco sober house complaints and alcohol abuse / overdose. This makes up 75% of festival deaths on average, yet there are still many other factors to be tackled – such as theft, physical violence, sexual harassment and so on. In this regard, we need to take action and ask ourselves how we are going to make festivals safer for the communities who love them so much.

Receive news, prayer and action points, publications and access to exclusive events. Evidence suggested a 10 to 25 per cent reduction in drug-related harm when The Loop operated on site. Jon Waldron and Prof Val Curran are members of the Electronic Music Scene Survey team, a European research project and based at the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London. Substances can vary markedly in their content even within the same batches. It is not possible for someone to know all the pills they have are the same.

MDMA/Ecstacy

This study findings call for a change in approach to drug surveillance and policing culture at festivals and large events. One alarming outcome of the survey reported that the police and police dog presence influenced drug use with consumers increasing the odds to decide to consume all their drugs prior to entering the site in an attempt to avoid being caught. Thirdly, while drug checking is unlikely to lead to an overall reduction in prevalence of drug use, it can and does lead to a reduction in drug-related harm, including targeted and more efficient use of emergency services on and off site. An example of this would be the emergence of red Superman pills containing PMMA that resulted in 4 deaths over Christmas 2015 in the UK but none in the Netherlands. Secondly, evidence from Europe suggests that in fact ‘drug checking’ highlights the variability of illegal drugs and reduces experimentation by new users. When provided with their test results, a Canadian project found that half of festival goers chose to dispose of their drugs.

But if all this is synonymous with the British festival scene, then so, too, are the security guards and drug detection dogs. From a safety perspective, this puts people at risk, especially when they’re inexperienced and are in the dizzying setting of a festival. With festival season nearing its final big events, many people will have dabbled with drugs over the last few months. If it all starts going wrong when you’re on it you’ll be stuck in a state of panic for the duration of the trip. The world will be distorted and your motor systems will be all out of sync.

  • While a summer of festival drinking or taking drugs isn’t necessarily going to lead to a dependence, education and early intervention is the key to preventing alcohol addiction and drug addiction in young people.
  • Following that our advice is, if festival sites have drug testing facilities use them.
  • Assistant Chief Constable Justin Bibby of Staffordshire Police told of a likely “increase in risk-taking behaviour this summer.
  • As well as the obvious health risks, festival drinking over several days can build up a tolerance that is hard to manage when it’s time to come home.
  • We will find the best methods to help you live life free from alcohol or drugs.

The dual-sensor method combines the EP recorded in parallel at two electrodes with different measuring conditions into a superprofile. As the combined electrochemical information of the recorded EPs provides an increased selectivity, this method obtains the highest accuracy (87.5% vs. Interestingly, both methods outperform a portable Raman device (60%) that analyzed the same set of confiscated samples. Overall, these electrochemical methods offer law enforcement a rapid, portable and accurate screening method for the analysis of the large variety of suspicious samples encountered at music festivals. Australian politicians have typically endorsed a deterrence-based approach to drug use at music festivals, with a strong police presence and drug dogs to catch offenders. Although deterrence methods are undoubtedly well-intentioned, evidence suggests that they are ineffective at protecting Australians from the harmful effects of contaminated substances.

Pills

Make sure you look after your physical and mental health to stay on top form. Be open with your friends if you are taking drugs and look after each other. If anyone feels unwell encourage them to seek medical attention or visit the welfare team. Unless drugs have been tested, you can never know exactly what is in them or how strong they are.

There is no reason why a principled politician, or political party, could not lead Australia to follow this example. In the absence of any more sophisticated options, drug consumers are resorting to drug testing kits they can access themselves. If you are having a bad time or struggling but don’t feel you need medical attention, visit the welfare team. eco sober house review Find out where they are located when you arrive and feel confident about accessing this service, you won’t get into trouble. If you are the one to buy drugs for your friends, technically you are classed as being a supplier or drug dealer. Festivals are the place to let your hair down and enjoy yourself but let’s make sure it stays a good time.

  • Deaths in England and Wales linked to ecstasy pills reached their highest level in 2016 at 63 – up from 10 in 2010.
  • It’s important to be aware and remain alert so that you don’t become a target.
  • Finally, it is worth emphasising that campaigners are not requesting government funding to implement drug testing; they are simply asking for permission to provide drug-testing stations that will prevent unnecessary harm to festival-goers.
  • You may also have to share this information with potential employers which could affect your future job prospects.

Volteface is an independent research and advocacy organisation, that seeks to reduce the harm drugs pose to individuals and society, through evidence-based policy reform. Almost six out of 10 UK adults drink alcohol weekly and at festivals it is not unreasonable to assume that many people will be drinking more than usual. However, some festival organisers have previously called for police to clarify whether they support offering testing to festivalgoers and have raised concerns that the results “have the ability to mislead”. It offered the service at a number of events last year and says that where this has happened about 20% of people decide not to take their drugs after hearing the results. Ultimately, no drug use can be considered truly safe and the only way to avoid the risk of harm completely is to avoid using them. Perhaps the most worrying trend is the recent rise in deaths attributed to club drugs, notably ecstasy and cocaine.

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It’s been used for thousands of years, notably by some Native Americans in Mexico as a part of spiritual ceremonies. More famously it was part of Hunter S Thompson’ contraband suitcase in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and played a semi-large part in sending him straight to Bat Country. You’ll see the kind of scary hallucinations that don’t go away when you close your eyes and have an all-round bizarre time. The sort of junk your parents were taking en route to a Santana concert back in the good ol’ days of free love and rock and roll. It’ll make you feel like you can control time and have the secrets of the universe stored up in your spaced out noggin.

Often, they can have the same appearance as “traditional” drugs – frequently fine white powders – allowing them to be intentionally mis-sold to unwitting customers. Meanwhile, the number of cocaine-related deaths rose from 112 in 2011 to 371 in 2016. Launched in 2008 THE PLAYGROUND went on to becoming one of the UK’s most recognised music companies covering large scale events, international Music PR, Record Label and Bookings Agency. Financial turmoil is pushing people who work in the sex industry into more dangerous and desperate situations as a means of survival. It’s important to remember though, this isn’t the high people always get – if it goes wrong, at best you might have a bad trip, at worst severe ramifications both legally and health-wise.

drug use at music festivals

Finally, it is worth emphasising that campaigners are not requesting government funding to implement drug testing; they are simply asking for permission to provide drug-testing stations that will prevent unnecessary harm to festival-goers. This is a privately funded public health intervention with moral, health and economic returns on investment. A major review in Europe found that two-thirds of drug users wouldn’t consume contaminated drugs and would warn friends of any harmful results.

More: Drugs

However, the reality is that, for some, drugs and festivals go hand in hand. For example, while the average content of MDMA – the active ingredient in ecstasy pills – was between 50mg and 80mg in the 2000s, it is thought that pills in Europe now contain an average of about 125mg. These suggest that across the population as a whole, illegal drugs are used by a minority of young adults. Knowing more about what people are using – and what the risks might be – is crucial to protect them from harm. The parents of victims Georgia Jones, 18, and Tommy Cowan, 20, warned others about drug use, but such stories are not uncommon – every year we hear of people dying at festivals.

Yes, there are real health dangers while at festivals, with the side effects and risks of drug usage the same in that environment as any other, but then there’s also that pathway to addiction and a reliance on them in the “real world”. This can have even more catastrophic effects on relationships, careers, finances, and, most importantly, your own health. A chance to escape from the stresses of everyday life, work, university and even relationships. It’s the opportunity to see world class music, and for many, experiment with drugs for the very first time. Many women do not feel safe at music festivals, citing the particular combination of big crowds and alcohol and drug intake making them particularly wary.