Our policy paper, Drug safety testing at festivals and night clubs, looks at how health harm related to drug use, particularly from stimulant ‘club drugs’ such as ecstasy, can be minimised in these specific environments. Key points include:
- Deaths related to ecstasy use in England and Wales have risen from 10 in 2010 to 57 in 2015, with deaths related to any drug at festivals also increasing to six at UK festivals in 2016
- Drug safety testing pilots at two UK festivals in 2016 saw almost one in five users (18%) dispose of their drugs once aware of the content
- RSPH supports the roll out of drug safety testing facilities as standard in the UK across all festivals, city centre nightlife areas in the UK and as a client service at drug treatment services