Checking Your Substance: A New Approach to Festival Harm Reduction in Mexico City

At a recent festival in Mexico City, the 'Checa tu Sustancia' initiative offered free, anonymous drug testing. Led by Instituto RIA, this program emphasizes harm reduction, providing drug testing, information, and safety kits to empower users with knowledge and reduce stigma around substance use.

Under the warm glow of strobe lights and the beat of house music, a groundbreaking festival in Mexico City introduced more than just entertainment. The event featured an innovative booth offering free, anonymous drug testing, marking a shift in addressing drug use at public gatherings.

The initiative, "Checa tu Sustancia" (Check Your Substance), spearheaded by Instituto RIA, aims to reduce risk among drug users by focusing on public health and social justice rather than security concerns. On-site, festival-goers could have their substances tested using reagents, offering insights into potential adulterants, although not their exact quantities.

In addition to testing, the booth provided information on the effects and risks of various psychoactive substances. Volunteers also distributed naloxone sprays for opioid overdose reversal, reflecting a growing trend towards harm reduction over abstinence. This approach, emphasizing informed choices and collective care, seeks to dismantle the stigma and isolation often faced by those who use drugs.

(With inputs from agencies.)