Women whose children died at festivals after taking drugs have urged the UK government to support “life-saving” substance-checking services after an influential parliamentary committee warned it was concerned there would be a surge in youth drug deaths this summer without action. “I think if people are given truthful drug education – with testing encouraged and facilitated not just at festivals – then drug-related deaths would be significantly lower. Photograph: Social Media/ReutersThe DCMS committee noted that since 2016 “there have been no drug-related deaths at any festival [with drug checking]”. There have not been any drug deaths at Boomtown since it introduced drug checking in 2017. At least 14 younger people have died after taking drugs at festivals in England since 2017, with some experts believing the true total to be significantly higher.

Source: The Guardian June 07, 2021 10:36 UTC