Music festival drug checking: Evaluation of an Australian pilot program

Abstract

Background: This paper explores the feasibility of delivering a music festival based drug checking service in Australia, evaluating service design and stakeholder acceptability. Methods: Questionnaire and interview data were collected from adult service users and key stakeholders. A mixed methods approach was used to analyse the data on implementation, impact and acceptability. Results: The trial service tested 170 substances with more than 230 patrons. Adult service users had an average age of 21 years. Among adult patrons who participated in the pre- and post-drug checking questionnaires, 88 per cent of the test results were the drug expected. Evaluation results show that the experience of testing and the accompanying harm reduction brief interventions positively impacted on patrons' self-reported drug harm reduction knowledge, trust of health providers and stated drug use intentions. The service was received positively by service users.Conclusion: This is the first independent evaluation of a pilot drug checking service in Australia. Consideration of operational feasibility and self-reported behavioural change suggests that the program was successful, although communication about the interpretation of drug checking results could be improved. Future studies should develop strategies for follow-up and consider the applicability of behavioural change theory.

Music festival drug checking: evaluation of an Australian pilot program

“…In Australia, only the Australian Capital Territory has permitted the trial of a drug checking service, carried out in 2018 and 2019. The service was independently evaluated in 2019 [ 18 ], and is the subject of this paper.…”

The long road to introduce drug checking as a harm reduction strategy in Australia

“…Permission was declined, but with the Groovin the Moo festival occurring on Territory land, the federal government was unable to intervene. The trials conducted by Pill Testing Australia were deemed an unequivocal success 14,15 . The ACT introduced a formal Festivals Pill Testing Policy, 16 and these successes were instrumental in laying the groundwork for Australia's first fixed site drug checking service, CanTEST, with technical support and much of the service design provided by those who established Festival testing 14,15 …”

“…Significant findings have been made, regarding the market, and the behaviour of young consumers has been every bit as gratifying as anticipated. 18 We have also written the first code of conduct for pill testing, The Trans-Tasman Charter, 19 so there could be no doubt about what we stood for and stood against. Its signatories are as interesting as those who have declined to sign it.…”

Moving beyond the dose makes the poison

“…16 The Australian Capital Territory has implemented two instances of festival pill testing since 2018, in addition to introducing Australia's first fixed-site health and drug checking service in 2022. 17,18 These front-ofhouse pill testing services have identified the NPS N-ethyl pentylone that has been associated with deaths and mass casualty events and discovered a new synthetic ketamine derivative, with community alerts subsequently issued in close to real time. 17,18 In this series, Caldicott 19 describes his experiences in the establishment of these drug checking services and the crucial importance of adopting harm reduction strategies and working with communities.…”

“…17,18 These front-ofhouse pill testing services have identified the NPS N-ethyl pentylone that has been associated with deaths and mass casualty events and discovered a new synthetic ketamine derivative, with community alerts subsequently issued in close to real time. 17,18 In this series, Caldicott 19 describes his experiences in the establishment of these drug checking services and the crucial importance of adopting harm reduction strategies and working with communities. With a clinician survey highlighting less confidence in managing acute NPS toxicity compared to established recreational substances, these EWS with future large-scale integration are an opportunity to acquire understanding; quantify and elucidate NPS and decrease verifiable harms proactively.…”