Festival-goers can seek information and support on drug use and surrender drugs for “back of house” checking, which will help to detect high-risk drugs.
The drug harm reduction services at Electric Picnic this year are part of the HSE Safer Nightlife Harm Reduction Programme.
Two tents will provide support on-site delivered by more than 50 HSE-trained volunteers wearing purple and pink high-vis vests.
There will be two additional surrender bins located at medical spaces where people can deposit drugs for analysis.
An on-site lab for drug checking will provide real-time results to help inform the harm reduction interventions.
The HSE drugs.ie tents can be found in the Main Arena and the Jimi Hendrix Campsite on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 9pm.
Minister for Public Health Colm Burke is encouraging “anyone who is considering using drugs at Electric Picnic and other festivals to engage with the HSE Safer Nightlife Programme and the volunteers”.
“While it is always safer not use drugs, it is important from a public health perspective that we reduce the risks for those who chose to do so,” he said.
“We know that ongoing changes in the drug market present additional risks.
“I strongly believe that we need to deal with drug use as a public health issue and give my full support to this targeted harm reduction initiative, which is now in its third year,” he added.
Meanwhile, the HSE Emerging Drug Trends Project Manager Nicki Kileen said the current drug market is “more dangerous than ever before”.
“MDMA pills, powders and crystals are more potent, making it easier to take too much without knowing, which can lead to drug emergencies,” she said.
A number of deaths caused by MDMA may increase this year, Ms Kileen has warned.
“We are aware that MDMA now ranges between 140mg – 240mg of MDMA. In general, MDMA over 125mg is considered a higher risk of causing an MDMA emergency.
“This means that taking one pill or small volumes of powder could be extremely risky.
“Another concerning trend is that powders are being added to drinks, which we expect to become more common.
“Ketamine use has greatly increased and many people are not aware of its short and long-term effects,” she said.
Ms Kileen added the HSE tents at Electric Picnic are “safe spaces to surrender drugs”, and they’re not monitored by An Garda Síochána.
“The more samples you submit, the better we can understand the national market – your contribution will not only help keep you safe but others too,” she added.
The HSE advised that the risks from using drugs increase based on individual factors, such as physical and mental health.
They also said the signs of the emergency could be various, including a headache, pain in arms and legs or overheating.
Speaking at the Electric Picnic, the HSE National Clinical Lead in Addiction Services Prof Eamon Keenan said: “Following very recent drug market changes, drug monitoring has become established as an important tool to help reduce harms among people who use drugs.”
“We recently saw the value of this approach following the emergence of potent synthetic opioids and how, through back of house analysis, we could detect and rapidly respond to an emerging drug threat.
“Similarly, this service can help us detect dangerous substances at events,” he added.
