Drug detection dogs don't discourage festival goers from bringing drugs

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-01-25 03:00

Australia; SA; WA; TAS

Photo by Jason Jarrach on Unsplash

Most people who regularly use MDMA will still carry and consume illicit drugs at music festivals even if they expect to encounter drug detection dogs, according to an Australian survey. Researchers asked MDMA users about their views and experiences with drug dogs at festivals, with 3 in 5 participants saying they'd encountered drug detection dogs at festivals. 92% of respondents said they'd anticipated encountering the dogs, and 86% said they took steps to avoid detection. 57% said they hid their drugs well, while 20% took the drugs before entering the festival. Just 4% of respondents who anticipated drug dogs chose not to bring or take drugs, the researchers say.

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Journal/
conference: Drug and Alcohol Review

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of New South Wales, University of Tasmania, Flinders University, Curtin University

Funder: Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government

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