Music festivals around the UK are introducing a new scheme in an attempt at reducing deaths caused by drugs. The new scheme allows festival-goers to test their drugs on site before taking them, allowing them to find out exactly what’s in them.
The Loop will provide drug testing tents to several major festivals in the UK in an attempt to lower drug-related deaths at music events.
Not-for-profit organisation The Loop will be the ones carrying out the tests, already providing forensic testing around festivals in Europe. The organisation will have a ‘testing tent’ set up for festival attendees, where they will be told what exactly is in the drugs before they are handed over and destroyed.
The National Police Chiefs Council are working on putting the plan into action, which is set to take place at ten festivals across the UK this year.
Reading and Leeds, Latitude, V Festival and Wireless are some of the UK’s major event companies which have showed their support for the drug testing scheme.
Melvin Benn Director of Festival Republic stated, “It’s taken a long time and it won’t be at every festival, but where we think there is a need to do it, we will be doing it.”
Via FACT Mag.
Read our feature on harm minimisation and pill testing: Chasing A Buzz: Australia’s Neverending Path to a Proper Drug Policy
