The step Shambhala Festival took was one that probably saved many lives, and now yet another Canadian festival is going the sensible way.
Evolve Festival in Nova Scotia is another one of he festivals in Canada that will introduce drug testing at the venue. At a time when the “war against drugs” is the trend in countries like the USA and Australia, festivals in this country have realised this isn’t the way to deal with the situation. Especially since banning drugs isn’t preventing people from smuggling them into festivals and using them, and is definitely not showing an improvement in drug-related deaths.
(Drug testing at Shambhala/www.theglobeandmail.com)
Creating an atmosphere of openness at the festival, this will allow people to test their drugs for potentially dangerous or lethal variants that they may have been sold. People sneak drugs into festivals one way or another, but doing this can actually help prevent avoidable tragedies. It’s about time other countries recognised the rationality of this approach, and adopted it.