Despite assurances from the HSE that their landmark Electric Picnic drug checking tent will not be monitored by Gardaí, public skepticism still remains high. In a dangerous moment of synthetic drugs, such services need full public support. Recent comments from An Garda Síochána have done irreparable damage to public confidence in the State’s harm-reduction policies.
Tent won’t be monitored – but ‘dedicated drug detection team’ on site at festival
In a leading piece on RTÉ promoting drug checking at Electric Picnic, a Garda spokesperson reminded festival-goers that drugs are, in fact, still illegal and those found in possession will face prosecution.
The Gardaí told RTÉ that they will proactively search for people in possession of drugs at the event using a ‘dedicated drug detection team’ which will include undercover officers.
The same source told the outlet that they would be ‘here to help,’ with a HSE source adding that Gardaí will not monitor the drug tent.
While the tent itself will not be monitored, such a strong interjection from Gardaí, which warned that those in possession of drugs will be prosecuted, leaves the general drug-consuming population skeptical and apprehensive about engaging with any authorities at the event.
HSE efforts undermined by uncooperative Gardaí
The HSE’s drug-checking services have been strongly supported by drug policy reform advocates in Ireland. Crainn has long advocated for the Irish Government to fully resource and expand drug checking in Ireland, as we know they are already an under-resourced service.
The HSE’s scheme itself is evidence-based. Drug checking, harm-reduction outreach and festival-wide alerts are life-saving practices. However, if public trust is continually undermined by Garda, the services will have less of a positive impact.
In the RTÉ article which featured the comments, the first eight paragraphs are statements from a Garda outlining their plan to prosecute festival goers taking substances. Only on paragraph nine you hear from the HSE source about harm-reduction.
If the scheme is truly health-led, the HSE should be front and center of public messaging. Gardaí are not ‘on message’ and are harming the HSE’s ability to save lives.
‘War on drugs’ rhetoric increases risky drug-taking
The intervention from Gardaí could not have come at a worse time. We are at a critical point where Ireland’s drug-related risks have reached dangerous levels, marked by the arrival of nitazine products and other high-potency drugs entering the market.
With Gardaí maintaining their strong ‘war on drugs’ mentality toward harm-reduction, it becomes impossible to encourage people to engage with valuable, evidence-based services while the threat of prosecution looms constantly.
This intervention will do nothing but encourage more risky drug-taking, inhibit the HSE from gathering valuable information on Ireland’s drug market and erodes further any trust that was left between drug users and authorities.
Amnesty, harm-reduction and messaging.
In order for the scheme to work going forward, the Gardaí must fully embrace harm-reduction around drug use, offering amnesty to those possessing drugs for their own personal use at festivals with such schemes active.
If this were the case, the scheme would undoubtedly be overwhelmed with eager festival-goers ensuring they are safe and secure if they plan on consuming drugs.
For now, the scheme has been tarnished by poor, negative messaging on behalf of the Gardaí which was designed to instill fear into drug users at Electric Picnic.
And it worked, to the detriment of life saving services.
Crainn 