Music festivals have been linked to an increasing number of drug-related deaths in recent years, with ongoing debate about how to effectively respond. This presentation will summarise key findings and recommendations from a large doctoral study on drug use at music festivals, covering topics such as drug detection dogs, drug checking, drug amnesty bins, onsite medical services, drug use patterns and practices, reasons for using drugs and adverse experiences.
About the Speaker - Dr Jodie Grigg, National Drug Research Institute (NDRI).
Dr Jodie Grigg is a Research Associate at the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) at Curtin University in Perth, where she coordinates the WA arm of the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) – a project she has been involved with since 2010. Her research expertise and passion lies in drugs used in party settings, drug policies and harm reduction. Her PhD on music festivals was recommended for a Chancellor’s commendation and has informed government harm reduction campaigns in WA and recommendations from the 2019 coronial inquest into six drug-related deaths at NSW music festivals.