Festival and Event Outreach Information
First of its kind in Alberta, Spectrum Drug Checking and Sanctuary Spaces is designed to provide accurate and reliable drug testing services, as well as education and resources on harm reduction and safer drug use to the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities at festivals and events throughout Alberta. The program aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for members of the community to access information and resources related to substance use while reducing the incidence of overdose and drug poisonings.
Objectives:
To offer drug testing services to festival and event attendees, especially those in the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities, to help them make informed decisions about their drug use and minimize the risk of drug-related harm.
To educate festival and event attendees on harm reduction and safe drug use practices, providing resources and support for those who may be struggling with substance use.
To establish a safe and inclusive sanctuary for members of the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities at festivals and events where they can access information, resources, and support related to substance use.
Who do we do outreach events with?:
The program targets attendees at festivals and events in Alberta, with a focus on members of the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities. The program aims to serve individuals who are at high risk of drug-related harm, including those who use substances recreationally or therapeutically.
Services:
The program offers the following services:
Drug Testing Services: Spectrum Drug Checking will provide accurate and reliable drug testing services to festival and event attendees, helping them make informed decisions about their drug use and minimizing the risk of drug-related harm.
Harm Reduction Education: The program will offer education and resources on harm reduction and safe drug use practices, including safer injection and smoking practices, overdose prevention and response, and safer sex practices.
Support and Resources: Spectrum Drug Checking will offer support and resources for those who may be struggling with substance use, including referrals to local treatment and recovery resources.
Safe and Inclusive Spaces: The program will establish safe and inclusive spaces for members of the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities at festivals and events where they can access information, resources, and support related to substance use.
Collaboration and Partnership:
Spectrum Drug Checking will collaborate with festival and event organizers, government officials, and local law enforcement to ensure that the program is operating in a safe and responsible manner. The program will also work with local harm reduction organizations to provide a comprehensive range of services to festival and event attendees.
Methods:
As the first program of its kind in Canada, with a focus on queer health, Spectrum Drug Checking is modeled after the 14 successful drug checking programs in British Columbia that have been providing harm reduction education and preventing overdoses and drug poisonings since 2017. We have a mobile FTIR Spectrometer, as well as fentanyl, benzo, and LSD test strips that we use to inform people of what their drugs contain so that they may make informed decisions about their use, and how to reduce the potential for harm in the process. Our team has technicians who have been trained using the BC model for training drug technicians, and internally train new technicians with a learn by doing model.
An FTIR spectrometer is a machine that can identify the chemicals in a sample by analyzing how it interacts with infrared light. It's like shining a flashlight on an object and seeing the different colors that bounce back, but instead of colors, it looks at the unique vibrations of the chemical bonds in the sample.
To use it for drug checking at a festival, a small sample of a drug is placed onto a crystal in the spectrometer, and then infrared light is shone through it. The machine analyzes the way the light interacts with the sample and compares it to a database of known drugs, to determine what the drug is made of.
This can be useful at a festival to help people check if the drug they are about to consume contains any dangerous or unexpected substances, as well as to confirm that a drug is what it is claimed to be. It can also help organizers and medical staff understand what types of drugs are being used at the festival and potentially identify patterns of dangerous or adulterated substances.
Conclusion:
The Festival and Event Outreach Strategy for Spectrum Drug Checking aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for members of the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities to access information, resources, and support related to substance use while reducing the incidence of overdose and drug poisonings. The program offers a range of services, including drug testing, harm reduction education, support and resources, and safe and inclusive spaces, all aimed at helping attendees make informed decisions about their drug use and minimizing the risk of drug-related harm.