Correlates of higher‐risk drug‐related behaviours at music festivals in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Introduction. There are few contemporary data on illicit drug use at music festivals. We describe drug use patterns and prevalence of specific higher-risk drug-related behaviours, and their associations with festivalgoer characteristics. Methods. We approached attendees at six major music festivals in New South Wales, Australia, from November 2019 to March 2020. Participants self-completed an anonymous survey on prior and intended drug use and associated higher-risk behaviours; double dropping; higher-volume ethanol alongside drug use; higher quantity 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA); mixing stimulants; and preloading. Logistic regression and UpSet analyses were performed to identify festivalgoer characteristics and the intersection of high-risk behaviours, respectively. Results. Of 1229 participants, 372 (30.3%) used or planned to use drugs at the festival. In multivariable analyses, men and those purchasing drugs both inside and outside the venue had greater odds of engaging in higher-risk behaviours. Of those using MDMA, 47.9% reported double dropping. People using drugs for the first time had 3.3 (95% confidence interval 1.2-8.7) greater odds of higher-volume ethanol alongside drug use. People reporting that police/police dog presence influenced their decision to take drugs had 2.2 (95% confidence interval 1.4-3.6) greater odds of preloading. In UpSet analysis, preloading was the most common intersection (17% of those using drugs). Discussions and Conclusions. Engagement in the five higher-risk drug behaviours was common, particularly amongst males and those using drugs for the first time, while police/police dog presence appeared to influence higher-risk behaviours amongst festival attendees. This information can be used to inform harm reduction advice, public health and law enforcement strategies.

Barriers to help‐seeking among music festival attendees in New South Wales, Australia

“…No drug checking services were available at any of the festivals sampled. As presented elsewhere [2], there was a median of 100 presentations to on‐site emergency medical services per 10,000 festivalgoers (range 30–200/10,000). Furthermore, a median of three per 10,000 (range 1–7/10,000) required transportation from the festival medical service to the hospital.…”

“…This cross‐sectional study surveyed a convenience sample of attendees at major musical festivals in NSW, Australia, between November 2019 and March 2020 (see reference [2] for more study details). Music festivals were selected on the basis of requiring an approved Safety Management Plan under the NSW 2019 Music Festivals Act , indicating that the festival was deemed at high risk of drug‐related harm by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority [17].…”

“…The use of illicit substances at music festivals is common, with recent Australian reports estimating around a quarter to a third of festival attendees engage in drug use during the event [1,2]. While the majority of this drug use occurs with minimal health consequences, it can be accompanied by a range of harms including injury, hyperthermia, coma and in rare instances, death [3].…”

Encounters with police drug detection dogs at music festivals amongst people who regularly use ecstasy and/or other illicit stimulants in Australia

“…Focusing specifically on music festivals or similar events, there is some evidence to suggest that anticipation of the presence of drug dogs may result in a small reduction in people's willingness to carry drugs into these settings [9]. However, studies have shown that most people who plan to use drugs at festivals continue to carry drugs into events, taking precautions to conceal them (including in body cavities or swallowing drugs to be retrieved, via purging once inside an event) [10][11][12], while others have reported taking their drugs before entering the venue (termed preloading) in anticipation of drug dog presence [4,10,13]. Concerningly, these methods carry the potential to increase risk of overdose and other adverse events [4,10,11,13].…”

“…However, studies have shown that most people who plan to use drugs at festivals continue to carry drugs into events, taking precautions to conceal them (including in body cavities or swallowing drugs to be retrieved, via purging once inside an event) [10][11][12], while others have reported taking their drugs before entering the venue (termed preloading) in anticipation of drug dog presence [4,10,13]. Concerningly, these methods carry the potential to increase risk of overdose and other adverse events [4,10,11,13]. While there are guidelines for harm reduction service provision at Australian music festivals, these vary by jurisdiction and may include medical and first-aid staff, peer-to-peer education and a range of interventions [14,15].…”