Safe beats down under: investigating the support of drug checking at a regional festival in the Northern Territory, Australia.
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| Title: | Safe beats down under: investigating the support of drug checking at a regional festival in the Northern Territory, Australia. |
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| Authors: | Wardle, Felicity (AUTHOR), Piatkowski, Timothy (AUTHOR), Clifford, Sarah (AUTHOR), Peacock, Amy (AUTHOR), Dietze, Paul (AUTHOR), Lim, Megan (AUTHOR), Douglass, Caitlin (AUTHOR), Hill, Penny (AUTHOR), Moore, Samuel (AUTHOR), Miller, Mia (AUTHOR), Brett, Jonathan (AUTHOR), Wright, Cassandra J. C. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy. Jun2025, Vol. 32 Issue 3, p211-219. 9p. |
| Subjects: | Substance abuse prevention, Music, Health services accessibility, Research funding, Data analysis, Health attitudes, Consumer attitudes, Logistic regression analysis, Descriptive statistics, Age distribution, Drug use testing, Harm reduction, Statistics, Data analysis software |
| Geographic Terms: | Northern Territory |
| Abstract: | Background: In the context of Australian music festivals, including those in the Northern Territory (NT), drug-related harms persist. This study focused on gathering local insights into drug-related behaviours and attitudes, particularly regarding drug checking, among NT festival attendees. Methods: In May 2022, attendees (aged 16+) at a single-day multi-genre music festival in the NT were surveyed onsite about their drug use and harm reduction behaviours. Logistic regression was employed to explore factors influencing attitudes and preferences toward drug checking. Results: Out of 539 participants, 40% reported recent drug use in the past month. About 12% planned drug use at the festival. Notably, 73% supported drug checking, with 81% approval among people who use drugs. Older participants (>25 years) had 2.6 times (p =.001) greater odds of supporting drug checking. Participants with recent drug use had 2.1 times (p =.006) greater odds of supporting it. Among those opting for drug checking (n = 270), people who have recently used drugs had 5.5 times (p <.001) greater odds of preferring an onsite service. Additionally, 67% believed any drug checking service increased their safety. Conclusions: The study reveals NT festivalgoers' widespread support for drug checking and suggests the need for on-site drug checking services in the NT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Background: In the context of Australian music festivals, including those in the Northern Territory (NT), drug-related harms persist. This study focused on gathering local insights into drug-related behaviours and attitudes, particularly regarding drug checking, among NT festival attendees. Methods: In May 2022, attendees (aged 16+) at a single-day multi-genre music festival in the NT were surveyed onsite about their drug use and harm reduction behaviours. Logistic regression was employed to explore factors influencing attitudes and preferences toward drug checking. Results: Out of 539 participants, 40% reported recent drug use in the past month. About 12% planned drug use at the festival. Notably, 73% supported drug checking, with 81% approval among people who use drugs. Older participants (>25 years) had 2.6 times (p =.001) greater odds of supporting drug checking. Participants with recent drug use had 2.1 times (p =.006) greater odds of supporting it. Among those opting for drug checking (n = 270), people who have recently used drugs had 5.5 times (p <.001) greater odds of preferring an onsite service. Additionally, 67% believed any drug checking service increased their safety. Conclusions: The study reveals NT festivalgoers' widespread support for drug checking and suggests the need for on-site drug checking services in the NT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 09687637 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09687637.2024.2330938 |
