In what is a welcome festival first, the Ana Liffey Drug Project is providing harm reduction services throughout the Electric Picnic weekend.
“Some people attending music festivals do drink and take drugs, and everyone needs to work together to reduce the potential for harm,” reflects Ana Liffey CEO, Tony Duffin, who told Hot Press last year of the organisation’s desire to supply Irish festivals-goers with the sort of high-quality drug and alcohol information that’s routinely available at UK events.
“An Garda Síochána provide an excellent public service in keeping communities safe and part of this is restricting the supply and availability of drugs,” he continues. “However, drug use is a complex social issue, which is often more pull than push, and cannot be addressed by policing alone. The reality is that drugs are freely available across the country and there are no drug free music festivals - since the Woodstock-era drugs and festivals have been inseparable in many people’s minds. Policing alone cannot manage drug use at music festivals. The issue requires a dual law enforcement and public health approach.”
Source: Hotpress Magazine, 29/08/17
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