Novel harm reduction measures at music festivals in Australia: Pilot implementation of the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia-Victoria toxicosurveillance methodology.
NPS
illicit drugs
music festivals
public health
toxicosurveillance
Journal
Drug and alcohol review
ISSN: 1465-3362
Titre abrégé: Drug Alcohol Rev
Pays: Australia
ID NLM: 9015440
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
19 Aug 2024
19 Aug 2024
Historique:
revised:
17
07
2024
received:
26
02
2024
accepted:
19
07
2024
medline:
20
8
2024
pubmed:
20
8
2024
entrez:
20
8
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Harm reduction strategies at music festivals seek to create a safer environment for patrons. The Emerging Drugs Network of Australia-Victoria (EDNAV) project is a state-wide toxicosurveillance network that derives drug intelligence from a sample of patients presenting to hospital with illicit drug-related toxicity. This publication describes the preliminary outcomes of conducting toxicosurveillance for critically unwell festival patrons within on-site medical facilities. Blood samples were collected from patrons who presented with severe illicit drug-related toxicity across three festivals (2022/2023). Blood samples were analysed via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for over 700 pharmaceutical and illicit drugs. There were 1603 individual medical encounters across the festivals, 228 of which were illicit drug related. A blood sample was collected for 24 patients, with a median age of 22 years (range 18-39 years). A median of two drugs (range 1-5 drugs) were reported and four drugs (range 0-8 drugs) were analytically confirmed per patient. The most frequently reported exposures were congruent with analytical results, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (reported n = 17, detected n = 20), ketamine (reported n = 9, detected n = 13) and cocaine (reported n = 9, detected n = 12). An unreported illicit drug and/or new psychoactive substance (NPS) was detected in 18 patients, including methylamphetamine (n = 10), a cathinone (n = 7), benzodiazepine-type NPS (n = 6), N-ethylamphetamine (n = 1), 3-hydroxyphencyclidine (n = 1) and/or 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-N-isopropyltryptamine (n = 1). EDNAV toxicosurveillance serves as an additional tool within a multi-faceted approach to harm reduction at festivals. Continued data collection will allow for the characterisation of high-risk drug use patterns to provide evidence-based messaging to festival patrons and key stakeholders.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Subventions
Organisme : Department of Health, State Government of Victoria
Organisme : National Health and Medical Research Council, Emerging Drugs Network of Australia
ID : GNT2001107
Informations de copyright
© 2024 The Author(s). Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.
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