Alcohol, MDMA, and cocaine most popular drugs used by Irish festival-goers, report shows  XSign in Subscribe My Account Sign out SUBSCRIBE Sign in Subscribe My Account Sign outnewsMunster Ireland Climate Politics Court & Crime Spotlight World sportGAA Soccer Rugby Racing Golf Other Live Sport & Archive lifestyleHealth & Wellbeing ieFOOD Arts & Culture Fashion & Beauty Relationships Travel People Celebrity Motoring businessEconomy Companies Munster Business Farming Technology propertyResidential Commercial Planning Development & Construction Home & Outdoors opinionColumnists Comment & Analysis Our View Your View Harry Burton PodcastsAsk Audrey Mick Clifford Weekend GAA Soccer Rugby ieFOODComfort Quick Sweet Soup Healthy Latest news MORE Archive Competitions Contact Us ePaper Family Notices Helplines MyHome.ie Newsletters Newspaper books Photosales Place ad Podcasts Puzzles Recruit Ireland Subscribe Who We Are Cookie settings Munster Ireland Climate Politics Court & Crime Spotlight World GAA Soccer Rugby Racing Golf Other Live Sport & Archive Health & Wellbeing ieFOOD Arts & Culture Fashion & Beauty Relationships Travel People Celebrity Motoring Economy Companies Munster Business Farming Technology Residential Commercial Planning Development & Construction Home & Outdoors Columnists Comment & Analysis Our View Your View Harry Burton Ask Audrey Mick Clifford Weekend GAA Soccer Rugby Comfort Quick Sweet Soup Healthy Latest news Archive Competitions Contact Us ePaper Family Notices Helplines MyHome.ie Newsletters Newspaper books Photosales Place ad Podcasts Puzzles Recruit Ireland Subscribe Who We Are newssportlifestyleopinion IN FOCUS: Ashling Murphy murder COVID-19 Climate History - Road to Civil War Global Irish Hub New Year, New Career Subscribe Alcohol, MDMA, and cocaine most popular drugs used by Irish festival-goers, report shows  The Trinity College Dublin research is providing vital evidence to underpin new government approaches to harm reduction for drug use at music festivals.    Tue, 12 Oct, 2021 - 12:30Sarah SlaterAlcohol, MDMA powder/crystals, ecstasy pills, and cocaine were the highest reported drugs used by Irish festival-goers, a new report shows.Almost 90% of the study participants reported taking multiple different drugs at the same time.The Trinity College Dublin researchers also found that the use of drugs was associated with further potentially risky behaviour with four in 10, or almost 500 people, reported having had sex following the use of a drug at a festival; and of those, two-thirds said that the sex was unprotected.Overwhelmingly, participants reported a willingness to engage with drug-checking services, including the use of amnesty bins.A total of 1,193 Irish festival-goers were surveyed during the 2019 festival season from June to October. The survey was promoted and targeted through online and social media platforms and outlets.Researchers in the Neurobehavioural Addiction Group, at the School of Medicine, led by Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers, in collaboration with the HSE’s National Clinical Lead of the Addiction Services, Dr Eamon Keenan, examined drug use and related harm-reduction practices and attitudes towards utilisation of drug safety testing services.Harm-reduction intervention The research gives a valuable insight into the attitudes and behaviours of a high-risk and under-consulted population and sought to explore the evidence for drug-checking services as a harm-reduction intervention.Drug-checking services enable the drug user to have their drugs chemically analysed, as well as providing information on the content of the samples.The research is providing vital evidence to underpin new government approaches to harm reduction for drug use at music festivals.Speaking about the overall impact of research, Professor Ivers said: ”This work will directly impact public health policy towards drug use at festivals and in the broader ‘night-time economy’ and will result in funding for services in 2022.“This investment in resources will produce significant health benefits for a cohort of people who do not access traditional treatment services, and is ground-breaking for Ireland.”Harm-reduction initiatives and drug welfare are becoming the mainstream at festivals in many European countries, and there have been similar initiatives in Ireland.However, there is no data on the prevalence of drug use and the harm-reduction practices in Irish festival-goers.Drug-checking services enable the drug user to have their drugs chemically analysed, as well as providing information on the content of the samples. Advice, and in some cases, counselling or brief interventions, may also be provided.Read MoreRace against the clock for the night-time economy More in this section Coronavirus: 14,555 new cases as hospitalisations fall below 1,000 President Higgins leads tributes to former RTÉ correspondent Jim Fahy 'At first I thought it was a joke': Man arrested in Ashling Murphy murder probe speaks out Council chief apologises for conduct in row over radio station emailsREAD NOW Subscribe Now Lunchtime News Wrap Sign up to to get the latest news direct to your inbox daily at 1pm Sign Up  Puzzles hub Visit our brain gym where you will find simple and cryptic crosswords, sudoku puzzles and much more. 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