Novel harm reduction measures at music festivals in Australia: Pilot implementation of the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia-Victoria toxicosurveillance methodology.
Drug and alcohol review November 1, 2024 Rebekka Syrjanen, Martin Dutch, Shaun L. Greene et al. 3 citations
At three Australian music festivals in 2022/2023, blood samples from 24 critically ill patrons revealed that unreported illicit drugs or new psychoactive substances were detected in 18 patients. Among these, methylamphetamine was found in 10 patients, cathinones in 7, and benzodiazepine-type new psychoactive substances in 6. The most frequently reported and detected drugs were MDMA, ketamine, and cocaine. The toxicosurveillance network provides additional intelligence for harm reduction, aiming to identify high-risk drug use patterns and inform evidence-based messaging.