Ana Liffey Drug Project at Electric Picnic 2018

Ana Liffey Drug Project provided harm reduction & welfare interventions to festival goers at Electric Picnic 2018.  The team worked on a 24 hour basis from Friday August 31st at 10am through to Monday September 3rd at 8am at this year’s Electric Picnic Festival. The 55 skilled, and specifically trained, Ana Liffey volunteers provided welfare services at the following locations:

• In the Eviction tent
• In the Welfare tent
• On outreach across the Andy Warhol, Charlie Chaplin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Oscar Wilde campsites

Throughout the weekend the team worked in close partnership with Code Blue, Irish Red Cross, Gardaí and security staff.

The volunteers engaged with festival goers before, during and after they reported drinking alcohol and/or taking drugs. The team also engaged with people about their sexual, physical and emotional safety.

Over the course of the festival, 403 individuals received targeted interventions from Ana Liffey. A further 64 groups of people ranging in size and age received general harm reduction information and tools – including Ana Liffey’s specially designed leaflet; and condoms.

The age range of people engaging with Ana Liffey was between 17 to early 40’s; the majority of those people were between 18 and 22 years old; and the gender split was a 61% man and 39% women.

The most common substance reported being used was MDMA and/or Ecstasy (people were using these terms interchangeably). The second most common substance reported being used was alcohol. Interestingly, when asked what substances peoplewere taking, the third most common response was polydrug use. Specifically, festival goers reported taking cocaine and alcohol together; cocaine and MDMA together; and taking MDMA and ketamine together.

The team provided a range of interventions with the most commonly delivered interventions being:

• Information on drug types and risks to people who were contemplating drug use
• Safer drug use advice to people who did intend to use drugs and/or alcohol
• Safer sex interventions regarding condoms and consent