DRUMSHEDS and The Warehouse Project launch year-round drug testing programmes
The harm reduction initiative is set up by UK drug testing charity The Loop.
London superclub DRUMSHEDS and Manchester venue The Warehouse Project have introduced new year-round drug testing programmes.
The initiative is set up by UK drug checking and harm reduction charity The Loop, who will conduct all services at both venues beginning this autumn.
It marks the first time that The Loop has received licences to test at venues in the UK, following years of operating drug testing facilities on site at festivals across the country.
The Loop has established testing facilities at festivals including Parklife, Secret Garden Party, Love Saves The Day, and more over the years.
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“With our drug testing being completed at festivals, a seasonal industry, we have been concerned that this does not go far enough in maintaining regular drug intelligence across the UK, and importantly throughout the year,” says The Loop CEO, Katy Porter.
“[These programmes] will provide intelligence for real time risk management and harm reduction information that can be quickly shared with the public, other venues and wider stakeholders to reduce the potential of significant harms.”
According to a press release, The Loop reports constant “changes to the drug market”, with drug-related deaths at “the highest on record and set to increase further”.
New testing programmes are backed by The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), who have called The Loop’s facilities “a pioneering initiative”.
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“The rapid changes within the UK’s drug market, including the rise of synthetic substances, have underscored the urgent need for informed, real-time responses,” says the NTIA’s Michael Kill.
The new year-round drug testing initiative follows a bid by The Warehouse Project to “make dancefloors safer” by introducing a mobile app featuring drug safety alerts and a direct line to security.
The app, with updated safety features, was unveiled in 2022, and included a map, a contact for emergency response services, and a direct line to the welfare station for essential on-site assistance.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter.
