Music festival are underway, hundreds of thousands of tickets have sold and people of all ages are packing their weekend bags, tents and supplies, ready for some fun in the sun (or rain).

At The Alcohol and Drug Service (ADS,) we want memories of these festivals to be happy and would like to offer some cautionary advice when it comes to using substances.

There’s no two-ways about it, recreational drugs are readily available at music festivals. MDMA, LSD, cocaine, cannabis and a whole range of other substances including; spice and nitrous oxide are available to both experienced users and those who will try this for the first time.

We know some people will take drugs at festivals whatever we say so while we would still advocate avoiding illicit drugs altogether, we know that doesn’t work for everyone. We live in the real world and understand that people go through stages in their lives where they take risks and want to experiment. So, as uncomfortable as it is for some people, we offer advice which is based on the reality of what people actually do, not what we’d like them to do.

Critics might accuse us of encouraging drug use but putting it bluntly, it doesn’t matter how good our services are if someone is dead or seriously ill in hospital. So step one is: keep people alive and as well as possible because if they’re not, there is no step two.

Following that, our advice is:

• If festival sites have drug testing facilities, use them to know what you are taking. If you know what you’re taking then there is advice you can follow designed to keep you as safe as possible, otherwise you roll the dice. If you can’t get your drugs tested don’t assume it’s the same strength you’re used to.
• Leave a longer period between doses.
• If you’re in a group watch out for each other and if anyone feels unwell or disorientated go to the first aid tent and tell them what you think you’ve taken. They will help.
• Stick together. Taking drugs at festivals can leave individuals incredibly vulnerable. The loss of inhibitions can mean trusting someone you don’t know and ending up in a risky situation. If you’re lucky you might only lose your wallet or purse.

As well, if you’re drinking alcohol:

• Be careful and leave periods between drinks.
• You need to keep hydrated so we would advise making sure you drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids and take notice of the strength on the cask or bottle. You may be used to drinking standard strength cider or beer at home but it is all too easy to end up supping something much stronger than you’re used to.
• Mixing alcohol and drugs can cause problems, especially when consuming for two or more days in a row.

We want you to enjoy yourself, but just remember sunshine, drugs and alcohol can be a dangerous mix, it really depends on you and how you approach it.