Christopher BarrettHaving received a new Home Office (HO) license to test at venues, drug testing charity The Loop has begun a year-round programme of testing at events, to be rolled out nationwide.
The Loop, which introduced the UK’s first back-of-house (BOH) drug testing at the The Warehouse Project (WHP) in 2013, and at festivals including the Secret Garden Party the following year, has started a new year-round programme to deliver its onsite drug testing at Drumsheds and The Warehouse Project.
A HO decision to continue providing licenses to allow festivals to undertake back-of-house drug testing earlier this year was described as “life saving”, with teams having been prevented from carrying out testing at festivals the previous year.
The Loop said its drug testing services are non-public facing and operate by testing substances confiscated or through amnesty onsite, and working alongside key stakeholders. It received the first ever HO licences issued for drug testing for UK festivals in spring 2024, and for UK venues in autumn this year.
The charity said its work at two of the largest club venues in the UK is designed to increase understanding of the changing drug market and the implications of that for both customers and emergency services operating in the venues.
The Loop will have the UK’s first HO licensed mobile laboratories to be located onsite within both venues during operating hours, with the aim of rapidly and accurately testing substances of concern and disseminate test results with the primary aim of reducing drug-related harm.
It said changes in the drug market have made its rapid testing more important than ever with drug-related deaths at the highest on record and set to increase further. It claimed the UK faces increasing challenges with the emergence and proliferation of synthetic cathinones, cannabinoids and opioids.
Professor Fiona Measham, chair in Criminology at the University of Liverpool and founder and chair of The Loop said, “The Loop’s drug testing programme is going from strength to strength. We started out conducting the very first back of house testing onsite at the WHP in October 2013 and 11 years later The Loop is introducing year-round onsite venue testing, including with our long-term partners at the WHP and now also at Drumsheds, with full HO licences. The size of these venues and the regularity of testing all year round means that The Loop’s understanding of drug markets will only increase.
“Implementing onsite drug testing at both Drumsheds, London, and The Warehouse Project, Manchester, will commence a nationwide network of drug testing, funded directly by the venues. Swiftly communicating to venue customers, wider nightlife communities, and partners, including public health, early warning systems, law enforcement, and importantly, the generation of real-time alerts when there are significant concerns.”
Drumsheads head of operations Sam Spencer said, “As part of our ongoing commitment to public safety and harm reduction, we are proud to collaborate with The Loop in bringing their innovative drug testing service to Drumsheds. We believe in taking proactive steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all audiences and the introduction of testing is a significant move in that direction.
“The information gathered helps us continue to respond in real-time to potential risks, and following the ONS report of increased drug-related harms, this initiative represents a crucial shift in how the industry responds. It’s about more than just mitigating risks – it’s about equipping people with the knowledge and support they need to stay safe across London, Manchester, and nationwide, while fostering a responsible, informed culture within the live events space.”