Reduce the harms at festivals

For many people festivals are the highlight of the summer. Here at Drugs.ie, we want your festival experience to be as safe as possible and one to remember for all the right reasons.

Not everyone will use substances at festivals and it is always safest not to use drugs at all. However, we know that drug use takes place across nightlife and festival settings and we want to raise awareness of the current risks and encourage people to reduce the harms.

Be in know about the current drug market

We are concerned about the current drug market including high strength MDMA (pills, powders/crystals), cocaine and ketamine. Higher strength drugs increase the risks, it may be easier to quickly overconsume.However, new substances have also been appearing in MDMA in the UK. We are also concerned about the risk of drugs known as synthetic cannabinoids appearing in cannabis products such as herbal, edible and vapes.

The HSE Safer Nightlife Programme and ‘Back of house’ drug checking 2024

This summer we will provide ‘back of house’ drug checking at four events to help us monitor drug trends in circulation. This will work by people surrendering drugs in bins so the HSE can conduct analysis and warn the festival if extra risky drugs are in circulation. Bins will be located in the Drugs.ie and medical tents at Mother Pride Block Party, District 8 Garden Party (9th August), Electric Picnic and District X. Harm reduction teams will be available onsite to support this work. Find our volunteers on outreach in purple and pink high vis vests or in the Drugs.ie tent onsite.

Follow our Twitter and Instagram @drugs.ie for updates on drug trends, warnings and alerts.
Alerts issued from ‘back of house’ drug checking in 2023 can be found here
Help with Irish research and have your say in the Safer Nigthlife Programme - take part in this years EU Web Survey on Drugs

Crisscross EU pilot programme

As part of this year’s Safer Nightlife Programme, we are partnering with organisations from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg and Italy to deliver the Crisscross programme.
The Crisscross project aims to respond to a number of intersectional issues relating to gender, behaviours and substance use in nightlife settings. The project aims to address gender-based violence in nightlife, leisure and socialization venues frequented young adults (18-24 years old) through the design, testing and evaluation of innovative pilots, with the aim to raise awareness, change attitudes and prevent GBV behaviours -including LGBTIphobia- linked to sexual violence and substance use.

Find out more and download the Crisscross resources here.

How you can reduce the harms at festivals:

It is safer not to use, if you do:

Tell your friends if you decide to use drugs at the festival: Try to have one friend who doesn’t use and be with people you trust. Avoid using alone, stick together and make sure no one is left alone.
Be in the know before you go: Follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts (Drugs.ie) for updates on drug trends, warnings and alerts. Our drug monitoring page will also be updated throughout the summer.
Plan to take less: Your tolerance may have changed if you stopped using drugs for a while.
Start low and go slow, take a small test dose. Pace yourself by taking a small amount and leaving time between use can help you identify how you are reacting to the substance. If you don’t react as expected avoid taking more
Leave the mixing to the DJ: Avoid mixing drugs, including alcohol and prescription medication. This can increase your risk of becoming unwell or experiencing a drug emergency. Remember, alcohol can increase the risks with all drugs. MDMA could interact negatively with some medications such as antidepressants. See our information on mixing drugs here.
Keep cool and stay hydrated: Sip water but don’t drink over a pint an hour as drinking too much water can be dangerous and lead to a salt imbalance in your body. Take breaks from dancing and give yourself time to cool down.
Know the signs of drug emergency: Signs could be physical or mental. If in doubt, get it checked out. See our information on the signs of a drug emergency
Medics are your mates:don’t be afraid to get help if you or a friend becomes unwell or feels suicidal after using drugs. Know the location of the medical tent at events and what you would do in case of an emergency. Be honest with medics about what was taken. Your wellbeing is their main priority. .

Festival resources

Download our festival booklet here with harm reduction, information on drug trends and information on drug emergencies
Download our ketmine harm reduction poster here
Download our MDMA harm reduction poster here
Factsheets on different drugs can be found on our site here

Social media imagery

'Leave the mixing to the DJ' Facebook/Instagram and Twitter
'Medics are your mates' Facebook/Instagram and Twitter
Start low and go slow', Facebook/Instagram and Twitter
'Keep cool and hydrate' Facebook/Instagram and Twitter

Get more information

See our festival drug do's and don't here
Get harm reduction about different drugs here
See our update on the MDMA market
See our update on synthetic cannabinoids

For further information about the HSE Safer Nightlife Programme please contact Nicki Killeen, Emerging Drug Trends Project Manager, HSE National Social Inclusion Office.

E: nicki.killeen@hse.ie or drugs.ie@hse.ie