2025-06-11 –, BS 3.14 - 60 cap.
Introduction. Drug checking services (DCS) identify drug market discrepancies to help people make informed choices about drug use. In this study, we assess the utility of DCS to identify market discrepancies at an Australian music festival through comparison with community surveys and wastewater analysis. We also compare demographic data of DCS attendees and non-attendees and report barriers to attending DCS.
Methods. In 2024, a DCS at a multiday music festival in Queensland, Australia analysed 230 substances of concern from 152 people. A concurrent in-situ survey of 155 festivalgoers assessed festival drug use. Two pooled portaloo samples were analysed for drug metabolites.
Results. Survey respondents reported using cannabis (55%), MDMA (44%), LSD (36%), and ketamine (35%). Drugs most commonly submitted to the DCS for analysis were expected to be MDMA (46%) and ketamine (38%). No survey respondents reported synthetic cathinone or novel dissociative use, but these were detected by the DCS and wastewater. Phenibut and kratom use were reported in the survey and detected in wastewater, but not presented to DCS. The demographics characteristics of festivalgoers who did or did not attend the DCS were remarkably similar. Of those who used drugs the DCS could test, common reasons for not doing so included trusting their suppliers, lack of concern about drug quality, or someone else controlling their supply, with concerns about privacy or policing less common.
Implications. In-situ festival surveys and wastewater analysis can help corroborate DCS detections and identify gaps in service coverage, allowing services to better meet community needs.
Monica J. Barratt*, Social Equity Research Centre and Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia
Isabelle Volpe, Social Equity Research Centre and Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Drug Policy Modelling Program, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia
MJ Stowe, The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia
Rory Verhagen, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
Caitlin McClure-Thomas, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
Richard Bade, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
Thomas Santo Jr, National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia
Fiona Measham, Chair in Criminology, University of Liverpool, UK
Matthew Downing, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
Jason Ferris, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Dhayaalini Nadarajan, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
Karen Blakey, The Loop Australia, Australia
Emma Kill, Queensland Injectors for Advocacy and Action (QuIVAA), Brisbane, Australia
Geoff Davey, Queensland Injectors Health Nework (QuIHN), Brisbane, Australia
Cameron Francis, The Loop Australia, Australia
Cheneal Puljević, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (presenting author)
Dr Cheneal Puljevic is an ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow at the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame at the School of Public Health. Her current research focuses on the drivers and deterrents of illicit tobacco use. Cheneal is also the Queensland Research Lead for The Loop Australia, a core team member for the Global Drug Survey, an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Drug Policy, and a Deputy Editor for Drug and Alcohol Review.