HSE Safer Nightlife Programme will offer harm reduction services at Kildare's District X Festival

The HSE Safer Nightlife Programme will offer harm reduction services at District X Festival this Saturday, September 21 in Johnstown, Co Kildare.

Two Drugs.ie tents manned by 26 trained volunteers are providing harm reduction support for festival goers. An on-site ‘back of house’ drug checking service to identity drug trends in circulation is in operation at the event from 2.30pm until 9pm on Saturday.

Professor Eamon Keenan, National Clinical Lead, HSE Addiction Services, explains:  “We know the MDMA market is evolving and pills and powders/crystals now contain more MDMA than in the past. At Electric Picnic 2024, half of the MDMA pills we tested contained over 200mg of MDMA. This is nearly double the average adult dose of which ranges between roughly 75mg-125mg. Higher doses of MDMA increase the risk of a person overconsuming leading to a drug emergency and a possible fatality. Given the current drug market situation, it is crucial for the public to engage with harm reduction services so they are supported to reduce harms.

“Our advice remains the same: it is always safer not to use drugs. For those who choose to, we encourage them to engage with us when they arrive at the event, follow our practical steps to help reduce the harms and consider submitting a sample of your drugs to help look after not only yourself but the wider District X community.”

How the ‘Back of house’ drug checking service works?

Once a festival attendee submits a drug to the HSE harm reduction bins, the onsite lab can quickly identify what is in the substance.

• The HSE will review the drug to check if there is extra risk due to potency and if extra potentially risky substances are present such as opioids.
• The HSE will then work with organisers to communicate issues of concern with attendees.
• A summary of concerns or results can be provided from the trends identified throughout the day by the harm reduction teams, who will be supporting attendees with the best available advice to help them reduce harms.

Nicki Killeen, HSE Emerging Drug Trends Project Manager, said:  “We are working closely with District X organisers to ensure the delivery of a harm reduction approach in the lead up to and at this event. Harm reduction is really vital at this point in time. Things have changed and while drugs such as MDMA have been used at dance events for decades, we need people to understand that the drug market is more risky than before. The current market is volatile with many batches in circulation that can look the same and contain different contents and doses. One of our key messages is to start low and go very slow.

“We encourage District X attendees to chat with our teams on arrival and consider submitting a drug sample to one of our harm reduction bins so we can quickly identify what drugs are in circulation early in the day. Bins will be available in the two HSE Drugs.ie tents and in the medical tent, these are health-led settings which are safe and confidential spaces to surrender drugs. These tents are not monitored by Gardaí.

“The more samples we get, the greater understanding we have of different batches in circulation, which can help inform our harm reduction efforts. Our main aim is to support people who use drugs as best we can, people can help us do this by contributing a sample of their drugs for onsite analysis at DX.”

Martin Smyth, District X, added: “While drug use is prohibited at all our events, we adopt a non-judgmental approach and apply a harm reduction policy. We have a longstanding relationship with the HSE to promote harm-reduction messages and provide services at our events. We emphasise that the HSE drug harm reduction tents are safe spaces to discuss issues and submit drugs for analysis, and we encourage our attendees to engage with the HSE.

“Your well-being is the main priority. Please don’t delay getting help if you or a friend starts to feel unwell. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help; the medics are your mates at District X and at all our events. We want this to be one of the best days of your life. We want you to remember it for the right reasons and everyone to go home safely.”

The HSE advises attendees to:

• Know the signs of a club drug emergency: A club drug emergency can start as a high temperature, headache or migraine, general feeling unwell, confusion, anxiety,  pains in arms, legs/shins.
• Avoid using more than one drug at a time; this includes mixing drugs with alcohol and prescription medication such as anti-depressants.
• Be in the know before you go: There is extra risk at this time. Drugs may be higher strength than you think, making it easier to take more than your body can handle.
• Stay with people you trust and ensure no one is left alone. Be a good bystander and support others. Tell staff if you think a friend is missing.
• Keep cool and stay hydrated but don’t drink over a pint of water an hour. Take breaks from dancing, check in with yourself and others.
• Start low and go very slow—take a small test dose. Pace yourself by taking a small amount and leaving time between use, which can help you identify how you are reacting to the substance. If you don’t react as expected, avoid taking more.
• If in doubt, get it checked out. Chat with teams onsite if you are concerned about a drug reaction.
• Don’t delay getting medical help: Medics are your mates and your wellbeing is the main priority.

Follow our X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts (@Drugs.ie) for updates on drug trends, warnings, and alerts. Our drug monitoring page is regularly updated. https://www.drugs.ie/drugs_info/drug_trend_updates_and_warnings/

For more information on the HSE Safer Nightlife Programme, visit www.drugs.ie