Opinion: Should we change the way we deal with drug use in Bristol?

Opinion: Should we change the way we deal with drug use in Bristol?

Posted on: 30 Nov 2018

Regardless of your views on drugs and drug users in Britain today, the inescapable reality is that while levels of consumption largely remain the same as they've been for years, drug-related deaths are rising year on year, some batches of certain substances are stronger than ever and our emergency services are struggling to cope. Still operating under the same system of criminalising and penalising possession and use that was drafted more than forty years ago in the early 1970s, is it time to rethink our approach to drug use and drug-related issues in Bristol?

Ecstasy pills have been found to be more than three times stronger than they were just ten years ago in the UK.

Official figures released in August 2018 by the Office of National Statistics revealed that 3,756 drug-related deaths were recorded in 2017, the highest total since records began in 1993. Of course, statistics will have been affected by several factors over the years - things like sudden surges in popularity of certain drugs, new synthetic drugs becoming more available and changes in supply - but after more than forty years of criminalisation the numbers are showing that the so-called 'War on Drugs' is nowhere near being won.

 

Continually-increasing cases of deaths related to MDMA and ecstasy have been attributed to higher-than-ever strength batches of pills and crystal MDMA, with the average dosage of MDMA in a pill at 156mg in 2017 - an increase of 20% from 2016 when the average was 129mg. Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, Public Health Wales' Head of Substance Misuse Josie Smith explained that "whereas 10 years ago, the average strength of a tablet was around 70-80mg, we're now looking at an average of 156mg, with a range right up to just under 300mg."

 

The increasing strength of drugs is contributing to an increase in health problems and deaths attributed to MDMA, with deaths recorded at high-profile UK club venues like Fabric, The Warehouse Project, The Rainbow Venues and Motion in Bristol. In these cases, the overwhelming reaction of the public is to put a spotlight on the security at the club in question, with city councils revoking licences in some cases (i.e. Fabric in 2016 and The Rainbow Venues earlier this year) and forcing clubs to close their doors for good.

Outside Motion Bristol.

Not only does this cause problems for the huge number of people who rely on a club for their livelihoods - think DJs, managers, technicians, promoters, local labels and more - but it also sweeps the real issue under the carpet in that people are still going to be doing the same drugs in the same quantities, just in a different place. This is one of countless problems associated with our current attitude towards illegal substances that absolutely could be avoided if we just change the way we deal with drug-related incidents.

 

Moving away from the traditional prohibition-style policy when it comes to drugs, several music festivals and clubs, pubs and bars and even some city authorities have started to make a case for modern harm reduction services as an alternative. The idea behind these is that rather than seeing drug use as a criminal issue they can approach it with an acceptance that people are always going to find a way to use drugs if they want to. In doing so they can let those people know exactly what they're taking and be able to accurately warn them of the dangers.

 

Leading the way in harm reduction in the UK is The Loop, an organisation set up in 2013 with the aim of offering people more information about their drug use in the hope that they can reduce harm. They provide training sessions for club and festival staff and welfare services, as well as on-site drug testing facilities at events and venues, and in the last few years they've been present at several UK festivals including Boomtown, Parklife, Secret Garden Party, Kendal Calling and, for the first time in 2018, Love Saves The Day at Eastville Park in Bristol. 

A warning posted on social media during this year's Love Saves The Day festival.

Current UK drug policy has meant that a lot of event and festival organisers have been hesitant to work with The Loop because in having them on site they're essentially admitting that people have managed to sneak illegal substances past security checks, but testimonials from festivals show clear evidence that the facilities are effective in reducing the number of drug-related health issues at an event.

 

Boomtown Crime & Drug Manager Paul Bunt identified The Loop's on-site MAST (Multi-Agency Safety Testing) facility as a major factor in the "significant reduction in serious drug-related incidents" at the 80,000 capacity Winchester festival this year, and his sentiments have been echoed by the organisers and Police services of several other events including Kendal Calling, Secret Garden Party and Parklife, outlined on The Loop's long list of Testimonials

 

Team Love director and Love Saves The Day head Tom Paine is the latest festival organiser to come out in support of The Loop after LSTD saw a 12% drop in people using their welfare services in 2018. They were also able to identify three dangerous batches of MDMA in circulation and posted warnings on social media that reached well over 1 million users in Bristol and beyond. As a result, of the 45,000 people in attendance that weekend, only 30 had to use the on-site welfare area in relation to a drug-related issue.

 

"As well as the encouraging statistics we've managed to get people talking about the initiative and raised awareness of the dangers of putting unregulated substances into your system," Tom said, "and if people still decided that they wanted to do it they were able to understand how to do it as safely as possible."

Love Saves The Day at Eastville Park.

With officials, venues and even a selection of politicians now calling for harm reduction measures to be trialled and introduced in cities around the country, it's only right that Bristol gets on board and starts paying attention to the evidence that facilities like The Loop's on-site testing are effective in combatting drug-related health issues. Accordingly, The Loop are set to visit the city this weekend for an all-day Drug Safety Testing workshop at Hamilton House on Saturday 1st December. Bristol residents are welcome to bring in drug samples to be tested for purity and strength and to see if the substance has been cut with anything else.

 

If you want to find out more about what you've been buying, or just want to find out more about drug safety or how to spot the warning signs, then head to Hamilton House any time between 12 midday and 8pm (last testing at 7pm) to chat with The Loop.

 

After more than forty years of prohibition, continuing health trends make it clear that the British government's insistence on sticking to an outdated policy simply isn't working. If you think we should be reviewing our drug laws and want to see a shift towards harm reduction when it comes to drug use, then contact your MP today to let them know how you feel - they're the ones who ultimately decide whether or not to move forward. You can find all the details on your local MPs and the best ways to get in touch with them here.

 

To find out more about The Loop including what they do, the history of the organisation and where they've set up in the past, visit their website or check out their Facebook page.


Article by:

Matt Robson

 

Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
 

Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.