Back of house drug checking

Following from a successful pilot event last summer, we will continue the Safer Nightlife Programme and opperate a 'back of house' drug checking programme to identify drug trends.

The service will be at some events this year. So far, we are confirmed for Life Festival at the start of the summer and Electric Picnic in September. We will review other options to monitor drugs throughout the summer months.

We hope to answer your questions about this programme in our questions and answers below.

What is ‘back of house’ drug checking?

The term ‘Back of House’ drug checking is used to describe the analysis of drug samples that are accessed through a number of different ways, but does not include accessing substances and returning the samples to directly to people who use drugs. This approach is used for market monitoring and for communicating messages indirectly with people who use drug and was piloted by the HSE last year where 3 alerts were issued.

How samples are accessed through a 'back of house' approach can include:

Samples provided to medics or found following a drug emergency
Samples put in surrender bins by people who want to help inform drug alert systems, by those concerned about certain batches in circulation or those who choose not to use the substance.

The HSE will access drugs through surrender bins at some events this summer. Bins will be in HSE drug tent sand in medical tents. Follow Drugs.ie on social media for updates.

Why was a ‘back of house’ approach taken by the HSE?

The HSE are concerned about the contents of drugs and want to know if extra risky drugs are circulation to help you reduce the harms.
This approach means that the HSE can quickly develop a service communicate risks at festivals.

How does it work?

The HSE will have a drug harm reduction tent, outreach teams and laboratory at festivals.

The drug tent and all healthcare services at events are a safe space for you to attend to discuss drugs.

The HSE will ensure an anonymous and secure drop off point to surrender drugs.
The HSE Drug.ie tent will not be monitored by the Gardai.
People can come to the HSE Drugs.ie tend to discuss substance use and harm reduction and can willingly dispose of substances they have concerns about or substances that they do not wish to take.
Harm reduction workers are available to offer information and support and to help you know more about how you can surrender drugs at the event.

Drug Alerts

Results won’t be provided to you personally
Alerts will be issued when extra risky drugs are found to the whole festival
We want to know if there are risky adulteraunts, new drugs or drugs that are extra risky because of the potency. We will communicate if we find anything of concern in samples.
Although the results are not delivered directly to the person using, if extra risky drugs are found, alerts can be issued to the festival as well as people not at the festival. This approach helps the HSE, people at the festival and wider public know of drug trends that are otherwise unknown.
The surrender bins will be accessed at different times by the onsite lab and analysis will be conducted through the application of FT-IR technology.
If substances of concern are identified as soon as possible, this will be communicated at the event and through our social media channels @drugsdotie.

How will I know if an event has 'back of house' drug checking

You can find this information on Drugs.ie social media
Events will have posters to notify if the service is available