Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers

1 Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers : Music Festival Harm Reduction September 2019. These Guidelines will be reviewed regularly to reflect updated information and feedback from Music Festival Event Organisers and other stakeholders. For more information, including contact details for local health districts, or if you wish to provide feedback on these Guidelines , please email NSW Ministry of Health 100 Christie Street ST LEONARDS NSW 2065. Tel. (02) 9391 9000. Fax. (02) 9391 9101. TTY. (02) 9391 9900. Produced by: NSW Ministry of Health This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for commercial usage or sale.

2 Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above requires written permission from the NSW Ministry of Health. SHPN (CPH) 190491. ISBN 978-1-76081-254-6. NSW Ministry of Health 2019. ii NSW Health Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers : Music Festival Harm Reduction There has been a recent, substantial increase in the severity of drug-related harms associated with some Music festivals in New South Wales (NSW). The Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers : Music Festival Harm Reduction have been written to support Event Organisers to deliver safer Music festivals. The Guidelines combine existing Event planning guidance with harm reduction strategies. These harm reduction strategies are based on information obtained from events where a number of Festival patrons have presented with serious drug-related illness that required immediate and intensive medical management prior to and during transfer to hospital.

3 The Guidelines describe harm reduction strategies with checklists to support implementation. All Music Festival Organisers should use the Guidelines to plan their events in order to: consider the site environment to promote the health and amenity of patrons;. include peer support and harm reduction messaging; and ensure appropriate onsite medical service capability. In addition to these Guidelines , NSW Health has developed other resources to support Music Festival Organisers and private onsite medical providers including: a social media campaign that has been developed in consultation with Festival patrons to help them recognise the signs and symptoms of drug-related illness and encourage them to look after their friends and seek help quickly. The campaign content is available for free from NSW Health.

4 The Pre-hospital Clinical Guidelines in relation to management of acute drug-related illness, including the management of hyperthermia, reduced consciousness, dehydration and behavioural disturbance, have been developed and are available from the NSW Health website. NSW Health will continue to actively support Music Festival Event pre-briefs and de-briefs as needed, to bring together all of the relevant partners for important discussions about harm reduction, management of serious illness, and communication and escalation pathways. Acknowledgements These Guidelines have been developed and revised in consultation with Music Festival Organisers , private onsite medical providers, venue managers, peer-based harm reduction services, medical colleges, NSW.

5 Ambulance, local health districts, the Poisons Information Centre, other government agencies, and many other experts who provided helpful advice and comment. The NSW Ministry of Health would like to acknowledge and thank all those who have contributed to this version and previous versions of this document. NSW Health Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers : Music Festival Harm Reduction 1. Table of contents 1 Drug and alcohol use at Music Festival characteristics associated with drug-related health Harm minimisation and harm 5. Risk assessment and risk management 5. Local consultation and planning with NSW Health 6. 2 General harm reduction considerations for Event 7. Site assessment and crowd 7. Communication processes and 8. Water 8. Alcohol 9.

6 Identification and management of intoxicated 9. Heat, shade, cooling measures and sun 9. Chill out 10. Food safety and 10. Prevention of hearing 10. Designing accessible and inclusive Music Prevention and management of sexual Sexual health 3 Harm reduction Opportunities for Harm reduction messaging NSW Health social marketing and harm reduction 4 Peer-based drug and alcohol harm reduction 14. Who is a peer'?.. 14. Peer-based drug and alcohol harm reduction 14. Engaging a drug and alcohol peer-based harm reduction 16. Peer-based drug and alcohol harm reduction service Peer-based drug and alcohol service training Peer-based drug and alcohol harm reduction service infrastructure 5 Onsite medical service 19. Onsite medical service location, access, signage and Expected 20.

7 Event medical 2 NSW Health Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers : Music Festival Harm Reduction Onsite medical Onsite medical Post- Event NSW Health information Emergency Health emergency escalation and Movement or evacuation of 6 Reference 7 8 33. Appendix A: NSW Health harm reduction checklist for Music Appendix B: Template for private onsite medical service provider staff profile and 36. Appendix C: Clinical parameters for immediate senior clinical NSW Health Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers : Music Festival Harm Reduction 3. 1 Background rostered medical service staff provided at least 21. days before the start of the Event . This is to ensure Introduction sufficient time to assess, discuss and manage any There has been a recent, substantial increase in the issues.

8 Additionally, to support the development of severity of drug-related harms associated with some plans that are consistent with these Guidelines , a Music festivals in New South Wales (NSW). harm reduction checklist for Music festivals is provided at Appendix A. The Guidelines for Music Festival Event Organisers : Music Festival Harm Reduction have been D. rug and alcohol use at Music developed to support Music Festival Organisers to festivals deliver safer Music festivals. Among people aged 20-29 years in NSW, recent Where responsibility is attributed to a Music Festival illicit drug use (defined as use in the last 12 months). organiser', it is understood that the organiser will has decreased from 27% in 2013 to 24% in 2016. usually make provisions for the activity or put in (National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 2016).

9 Place procedures or other arrangements that will A similar downward trend was also seen in the 14-19. ensure the activity is performed, rather than year old group. Young people in NSW are first undertaking the activity themselves. drinking alcohol at a later age and drinking at less hazardous levels than previously (NSW Ministry of These Guidelines were developed by the NSW Health, 2016). Ministry of Health, in consultation with Music Festival Organisers , venue managers, private onsite However, Music Festival patrons report higher levels medical providers, peer-based harm reduction of illicit drug use compared with the general age providers, NSW Ambulance, local health districts, matched population (Day et al., 2018). A survey the NSW Poisons Information Centre, medical conducted at a major Music Festival in 2016 found colleges, other government agencies including that 60% of respondents had consumed NSW Police and Liquor & Gaming NSW, and many methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, also other experts to describe harm reduction strategies known as ecstasy) in the last 12 months (Day et al.)

10 , and a risk management approach that are tailored 2018). Some types of events, for example electronic to the Music Festival setting. dance Music (EDM) events have been associated with greater use of psychoactive substances The Guidelines also support NSW Health and other including MDMA, ketamine, lysergic acid government agencies to provide advice on the diethylamide (LSD), and cocaine, and may be planning documents produced by Music Festival associated with higher levels of drug-related illness Organisers when making preparations to hold the (Westrol et al., 2017). Event . Recent studies of party drugs' (those drugs There will be a range of laws and regulations which routinely used in the context of entertainment apply to planning and holding a Music Festival .