HSE to operate harm reduction tents at dance festival as high potency drugs circulate
The HSE Safer Nightlife harm reduction tent at EP this year Two HSE drug harm reduction teams will operate among the crowd at the two-day DX Festival at the Palmerstown House Estate at Johnstown, Co Kildare. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
The HSE is operating two harm reduction teams and a drug-checking service at a major dance music festival.
Addiction experts are again warning potential drug users of high potency MDMA, or ecstasy, in circulation as well as new forms of ketamine, a powerful hallucinogenic, and ‘pink cocaine’, which contains a range of drugs.
The HSE’s top addiction expert said one ecstasy tablet tested this year contained 312 milligrams of MDMA, the highest ever recorded in Ireland.
The two-day DX Festival started on Friday and is being held at the Palmerstown House Estate at Johnstown, Co Kildare and is a highlight in Ireland’s dance music scene.
Two HSE drug harm reduction teams will operate among the crowd and in Drugs.ie tents.
According to a HSE statement, they will provide support for people to “help them reduce the harms and look after themselves and others, to help create a safer festival”.
An on-site ‘back of house’ drug checking service will conduct tests on any samples of drugs placed in secure “surrender bins” at the Drugs.ie tent and the medical tent.
These tests can identify both the contents and strengths of drugs and, if necessary, HSE staff will put alerts on digital signs at the festival and on social media about pills or powders of concern.
This testing service operates at the event from 2.30pm until 9pm on Saturday.
Professor Eamon Keenan, National Clinical Lead, HSE Addiction Services, said: “We know the MDMA market is evolving, and pills and powders/crystals now contain more MDMA than in the past.
“In relation to MDMA, year on year we have been seeing increases in the potency or strength of MDMA, and this year one of the tablets we identified contained 312 milligrams of MDMA, which is the highest that we’ve ever seen in Ireland.
"We also received some MDMA for testing, which had no MDMA in them at all, yet were being sold as MDMA.”
He said the HSE 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.”
Nicki Killeen, HSE Emerging Drug Trends Project Manager, said: “Just because we’re not warning about contamination, this doesn’t mean the risk is lower. Today’s MDMA is different from the past, and we are seeing that even identical-looking pills can greatly vary in strength.”
She said many pills are now branded the same and have different contents, making it difficult to communicate harm reduction or focus on one picture.
“People can react differently to pills that look the same,” she said. “We are also seeing cases where MDMA powder is added to drinks, leading to medical emergencies.”
In addition to high-strength MDMA, she said new forms of ketamine and ‘pink cocaine’ were also appearing, which, she said, had been found to contain no cocaine but a range of drugs.
She encouraged festival goers to talk to the HSE teams at DX for advice and contribute a sample for onsite analysis.
“This is the only service that can use real-time analysis of substances to detect if extra risky batches are in circulation,” Ms Killeen said.
“DX festivalgoers can play a vital role in helping us build a clearer picture of drug trends and issue alerts on extra risky substances.”
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;
- Avoid putting powders in drinks, this can lead to you taking too much too soon leading to a drug emergency:
- 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;
- Give the medics what is left of the drug so the HSE can analyse The HSE posts on X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts (@Drugs.ie) with updates on drug trends, warnings, and alerts.
