Summer music festivals have long been known for the use of psychedelics and other drugs by attendees. A team of researchers is currently investigating the implementation of harm reduction strategies at these events and what insights can be gained 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, being common settings for drug consumption, also serve as spaces where harm reduction measures are frequently employed.
Kenneth Tupper, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, is collaborating with the research team. He noted that drug checking initiatives originated in Canada within the context of music festivals, particularly amid the toxic drug crisis of 2016 in British Columbia. Innovative drug testing instruments like the FTIR spectrometer were introduced around 2017 for use at festivals such as Shambhala and Bass Coast due to their portability.
The inaugural Regina Exchange Folk Festival prioritized harm reduction and safety in its planning. Zandra Kaszas, the artistic director, emphasized the importance of being prepared for potential incidents despite efforts to prevent them. Besides standard safety measures like security and hydration stations, the festival also had the Nēwo Yōtina Friendship Centre (NYFC) present with a naloxone station for overdose emergencies.
Tupper highlighted the significance of drug testing services in providing individuals with greater certainty before deciding to consume drugs. He emphasized that counseling services can play a crucial role in helping people navigate their experiences and potentially save lives.
The research project, led by Dyck, aims to document the harm reduction strategies employed at festivals to build a valuable repository of knowledge. The team believes that these experiences, often overlooked in traditional archives, should be part of ongoing discussions in the field.
