Spain's Medusa Sunbeach Festival Introduces Drug-Testing Tents and Safety Measures

The Medusa Sunbeach Festival in eastern Spain has innovatively introduced tents for attendees to test their drinks for narcotics. This is part of broader safety measures, including addressing gender-based violence. The initiative, inspired by the feminist movement, aims to enhance the safety and well-being of festival-goers.

The Medusa Sunbeach Festival in eastern Spain has initiated groundbreaking safety measures by setting up tents where festival-goers can test their drinks for drugs. This initiative is designed to ensure that no psychoactive substances, such as GHB, known as liquid ecstasy, have been secretly added.

At the 'violet point,' social workers are also on hand to address potential cases of gender-based violence or sexual abuse. The innovative testing kits, a first for Spain, can detect GHB, a notorious 'date-rape' drug, by turning bright red if present in the drinks. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Spanish Equality Ministry and local governments.

Social worker Rosana Galvez from the Valencia region emphasized that these tests are crucial in preventing sexual assaults. Festival attendees like 18-year-old Adriana Barros have praised the initiative, highlighting its importance in crowded environments. The festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary with over 56,000 attendees, has previously faced challenges, including a tragic accident in 2022 that resulted in a fatality and multiple injuries.

(With inputs from agencies.)