Safe beats down under: investigating the support of drug checking at a regional festival in the Northern Territory, Australia

Figures & data

Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristics of festival patrons.

Variables	N = 539	%
Age
16–17 years	35	6.5
18–24 years	215	39.9
25–29 years	118	21.9
30 years and above	142	26.3
Missing	29	5.4
Gender
Female	366	67.9
Male	166	30.8
Non-binary/gender fluid	5	0.9
Gender not listed	1	0.2
Missing	1	0.2
Aboriginal or Torre Strait Islander
No	493	92.1
Yes, Aboriginal	34	6.4
Yes, Torres Strait Islander	1	0.2
Yes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander	3	0.6
Missing	8	1.5
NT Resident
No	304	56.4
Yes	219	40.6
Missing	16	3.0
Currently studying
No	363	67.4
Yes	165	30.6
Missing	11	2.0
Education level
High school, year 10 or lower	29	5.4
High school, year 11	41	7.6
High school, year 12	137	25.4
TAFE, Certificate or diploma	113	21.0
Undergraduate course	150	27.8
Postgraduate course	57	10.6
Missing	12	2.2
Recreational Spending
Less than $120 per month for recreational purposes	265	49.2
More than $120 per month for recreational purposes	254	47.1
Missing	20	3.7

Table 2. Drug-related behaviour of festival patrons.

Variables	N = 539	%
Have you ever used drugs besides alcohol?
Yes, in the past year	208	38.6
No	195	36.2
Yes, but not in the past year	107	19.8
Skip question	24	4.5
Missing	5	0.9
Have you ever used drugs besides alcohol?
Yes	315	58.4
No	195	36.2
Missing	29	5.4
Drugs used in the past month
None	207	38.4
Cannabis (Marijuana, pot)	148	27.5
MDMA (Ecstasy, pingers)	111	20.6
Cocaine	120	22.3
LSD (trips, acid)	41	7.6
Hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybin, magic mushrooms)	41	7.6
Ketamine	38	7.1
Nitrous oxide (nangs)	31	5.8
Non-medical use of pharmaceutical stimulants (dexies)	23	4.3
Methamphetamine (speed, powder)	17	3.1
Methamphetamine (crystal, ice)	16	3.0
Amyl nitrites (amyl, poppers)	12	2.2
GHB/GBL/1,4-B-D (juice, G)	8	1.5
Non-medical use of Viagra/erectile enhancer	<5	<1
Other	10	1.9
Skip question	53	9.8
Used drugs in the past month
Yes	215	39.9
No	207	38.4
Missing	117	21.7
Do you plan to use any drugs while attending the festival (besides alcohol)?
No	438	81.3
Yes	67	12.4
Skip question	23	4.3
Missing	11	2.0

Table 3. Drug checking attitudes of festival patrons.

	All participants		Those who ever used drugs
Variables	N = 539	%	N = 315	%
To what extent do you support or oppose allowing people to test their drugs at designated sites?
Strongly support	283	52.5	196	62.2
Support	109	20.2	60	19.0
Neither support nor oppose	60	11.1	35	11.1
Oppose	5	0.9	2	0.6
Strongly oppose	13	2.4	7	2.2
Don’t know	23	4.3	4	1.3
Skip question	36	6.7	8	2.5
Missing	10	1.9	3	0.9

Table 4. Binomial logistic regression model related to attitudes to drug checking service at festivals (Model reference group: Supportive attitude towards drug checking) N = 406.

Correlates		95% CI
	Odds Ratio	LL	UL	p-value
NT resident (yes)	1.038	0.609	1.772	.890
Gender (male)	1.408	0.779	2.544	.257
Age (>25)	2.587	1.458	4.591	.001*
Currently studying (yes)	1.229	0.693	2.181	.480
Education level (post-high school)	1.558	0.885	2.742	.124
Recreational spending (>$120 per month)	1.204	0.691	2.097	.513
Used drugs in past month (yes)	2.171	1.250	3.771	.006*
_cons	1.117	0.603	2.068	.725

* Significant at 0.05 level.

The overall model was statistically significant (χ² (7) = 31.98, p < .001), with a McFadden’s R² of .077.

Table 5. Preferences for drug checking service delivery among festival patrons.

	All participants		Those who would use a drug checking service
Variables	N = 539	%	N = 270	%
When would you use a drug checking or testing service? Please select all that apply
At event where I planned to use drugs, before consumption	218	40.4	218	80.7
I do not use drugs and would not use drug checking or checking service	127	23.6	–	–
Skip question	103	19.1	–	–
At event, testing a drug from the same batch after consumption	56	10.4	56	20.7
Days or weeks before the event where I planned to use drugs	51	9.5	51	18.9
I use drugs but would not use a drug checking or testing service	21	3.9	–	–
Missing	18	3.3	–	–
Other	11	2.0	–	–
If available, would you use a service based at clubs or festivals to have your drugs tested for contents and/or purity by a professional? (onsite)
Yes	–	–	200	74.1
No	–	–	32	11.9
Don’t know	–	–	28	10.4
Missing	–	–	13	4.8
If available, would you use a fixed-site service (e.g. a drop-in centre) to have your drugs tested for contents and/or purity by a professional? (offsite)
Yes	–	–	193	71.5
No	–	–	37	13.7
Don’t know	–	–	30	11.1
Missing	–	–	10	3.7
Derived variable: Preference for onsite and/or offsite drug checking service delivery
Either onsite or offsite	–	–	172	63.7
Onsite only	–	–	28	10.4
Offsite only	–	–	21	7.8
Neither onsite or offsite	–	–	16	5.9
Don’t know	–	–	16	5.9
Missing	–	–	17	6.3

Table 6. Binomial logistic regression model related to potential use of an onsite drug checking service at festivals (Model reference group: Would use an onsite service) N = 189.

Correlates		95% CI
	Odds Ratio	LL	UL	p-value
NT resident (yes)	1.191	.464	3.057	.717
Gender (male)	1.251	.462	3.386	.659
Age (>25)	1.692	.633	4.523	.295
Currently studying (yes)	.639	.240	1.699	.369
Education level (post-high school)	1.137	.441	2.929	.790
Recreational spending (>$120 per month)	1.041	.403	2.685	.934
Used drugs in past month (yes)	5.523	2.163	14.105	.000*
_cons	1.732	.576	5.213	.328

* Significant at 0.05 level.

The overall model was statistically significant (χ² (7) = 19.55, p =.007), with a McFadden’s R² of 0.126.