With summer festivals and events ramping up, Fraser Health is encouraging people who use substances to stay safe and look out for one another by accessing free, confidential drug checking services and following simple health tips.
Drug checking is an easy way to understand what may be in substances and reduce the risk of toxic drug poisoning and other drug-related harms. Services are quick and available to anyone who chooses to use them.
For the third year in a row, Fraser Health will offer pop-up drug checking at FVDED In The Park, a large music festival expected to attract thousands of people to Surrey’s Holland Park on July 3 and 4. A drug-checking and information tent will be located on the west side of the park, outside festival grounds, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. both days.
“Drug checking is an important harm reduction service that gives people information about what may be in their drugs,” explains Dr. Emily Newhouse, Fraser Health Medical Director and Medical Health Officer, Population and Public Health. “Whether you’re attending a festival, concert, camping trip or other summer event, if you’re using substances, we encourage people to get their drugs checked. The drug supply is unpredictable and can change over time, even from the same source.”
Summer festivals and outdoor events are a great way to connect and celebrate, but they can also present health risks such as dehydration, heat-related illness and toxic drug poisoning. Fraser Health encourages festivalgoers to take simple steps to stay well:
- Stay hydrated and protect yourself from the heat by drinking water regularly, eating throughout the day, taking breaks to cool down, and using sunscreen, sunglasses and appropriate clothing. Non-alcoholic drinks are best to stay hydrated. If you are drinking alcohol, have a glass of water between drinks.
- Plan ahead and look out for each other by attending with a buddy, knowing where to find water stations, first aid services and exits, and arranging a safe ride home.
- Look after your overall well-being by protecting your hearing, practising safer sex and consent, and bringing essentials such as medications, identification and comfortable footwear.
If you choose to use substances, reduce your risk by getting your drugs checked whenever possible. Drug checking services are free, confidential and available year-round throughout the Fraser Health region.
People are also encouraged to carry naloxone and know the signs of a toxic drug event.
To learn more about drug checking services and find a location near you, visit fraserhealth.ca/drugchecking.
For tips about outdoor summer events and festivals, please visit fraserhealth.ca/summerevents.
About Fraser Health:
We recognize that Fraser Health provides care on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and is home to 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region. Fraser Health is dedicated to serving all Indigenous people, and honours the unique cultures of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit living within the Fraser Salish region. Our hospital and community-based services are delivered by a team of 50,000+ staff, medical staff and volunteers dedicated to serving our patients, families and communities.
