A MOTION by a West Belfast MLA calling for the introduction of onsite drug testing at festivals and concerts has been passed by the Assembly.
The motion, brought forward by West Belfast MLA Órlaithí Flynn, seeks to address the rising number of drug-related deaths by implementing harm reduction measures at festivals and concerts. This onsite drug testing will allow people to anonymously surrender substances at festivals and concerts for analysis, and contaminated drugs can then be identified and public warnings issued within hours.
Speaking after the motion passed, Órlaithí Flynn welcomed cross-party support and urged the Health Minister to act without delay.
“We must do everything we can to tackle drug deaths in our society, especially at concerts and festivals,” she said. “Onsite drug testing allows particularly harmful substances to be identified, alerts to be issued, and tragedies to be prevented. No drug use is safe, but harm reduction measures like this can and do save lives.”
Currently, the North remains the only part of these islands without such a harm reduction scheme in place, while similar services are already operating at festivals in the South and in Britain.
South Belfast MLA Deirdre Hargey, whose constituency is home to some of the city's biggest music festivals, also welcomed the development.
“We need to ensure those spaces are as safe as possible. Onsite drug testing is a proven harm reduction tool that can save lives, and I fully support its introduction here. Festivals should be about music, fun and community – not fear or risk.”
The party’s spokesperson for community safety, Ciara Ferguson MLA, echoed the call, highlighting the urgency of the issue.
“The number of drug-related deaths here has more than doubled over the past decade. Saving lives has to be the number one priority,” she said.
“Simply telling people to abstain from drug-taking has not worked. Onsite drug testing is a humane and compassionate approach that will prevent avoidable drug-related deaths.”
