For many years, summer music festivals have been known for the use of psychedelics and other substances by some attendees. A research team is currently investigating the implementation of harm reduction practices at these events and the valuable lessons that can be derived from them.
Erika Dyck, a history professor at the University of Saskatchewan and a Canada Research Chair in the history of health and social justice, has dedicated the past two decades to studying psychedelics. She highlighted that music festivals, where these substances are commonly consumed, are also places where harm reduction strategies are frequently employed.
Kenneth Tupper, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health, is part of the research team. He noted that drug checking initiatives originated in Canada within the context of music festivals, particularly during the toxic drug crisis of 2016 in British Columbia.
The British Columbia Centre on Substance Use introduced a portable FTIR spectrometer around 2017 for drug testing purposes at festivals like Shambhala and Bass Coast. Zandra Kaszas, the artistic director of the Regina Exchange Folk Festival, emphasized the importance of prioritizing harm reduction and safety measures at the event.
In addition to standard safety protocols such as security and hydration stations, the festival also had the Nēwo Yōtina Friendship Centre (NYFC) present with a naloxone station to address potential overdoses. Tupper emphasized the significance of drug testing services in providing individuals with certainty before making decisions about drug use, as well as the life-saving potential of counseling services.
The research project, led by Dyck, aims to document the harm reduction strategies utilized at festivals to build a comprehensive repository of valuable information for future reference and discussions on the topic.