Island Health has been proactive in its efforts to reduce the number of drug overdoses and fentanyl-related incidents at music festivals on Vancouver Island.
Rather than simply encouraging abstinence, the health authority is acknowledging that people will ingest drugs of various kinds at festivals and other gatherings during summer. As such, it is bolstering the safe drug use strategies engaged in by festival organizers and has released a list of tips for staying safe for people who plan to ingest drugs of any kind.
They include:
B次元官网网址� If using, take one drug at a time (donB次元官网网址檛 mix with alcohol)
B次元官网网址� Use with friends and tell them what youB次元官网网址檝e taken
B次元官网网址� Know the signs of fentanyl overdose: Slow or no breathing; blue lips and fingertips; unresponsive to noise, name or pain; gurgling or snoring sounds, and pinpoint pupils or clammy skin
B次元官网网址� Know how to respond: carry Naloxone; call 911 and festival first-aid; clear and open the personB次元官网网址檚 airway; provide rescue breathing, and administer Naloxone and continue rescue breathing.
Griffin Russell, regional harm reduction co-ordinator with Island Health, said his group reached out to the organizers of all major music festivals this year. They were asked if they were aware of the risks, and to outline the steps being taken to help keep people safe from potentially fatal drug overdoses.
B次元官网网址淎ll of these festivals, in some form or fashion, had some plans in place,B次元官网网址� he said, noting that those ranged from setting up harm reduction tents to having medical staff on hand throughout.
Major festivals such as last weekendB次元官网网址檚 Sunfest and the previous Laketown Rock Festival in the Cowichan Valley, the Tall Tree Festival in Port Renfrew and the Phillips Backyard Weekender in Victoria all had an B次元官网网址渋ncredible amount of supportB次元官网网址� and were B次元官网网址渨ell preparedB次元官网网址� for emergencies, Russell said.
So far, there havenB次元官网网址檛 been a significant amount of overdoses at festivals this year, he added.
Island Health will be monitoring this weekendB次元官网网址檚 Five Acre Shaker Music Fest in Port Alberni and next monthB次元官网网址檚 Rifflandia Festival in Victoria as it tries to create a consistent approach to harm reduction at such events. Island HealthB次元官网网址檚 harm reduction strategies and services committee will meet in October to review the festival season as well as the communication of the risks to the public.
B次元官网网址淲hat we [have done] this year will probably look different than what we will do next year,B次元官网网址� Russell said.
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