Berlin introduces free and anonymous drug testing

Berlin has officially launched a legal drug testing scheme, allowing people to anonymously get drugs tested for free.

The Senate Department for Health announced the new scheme, named Drug Checking, which carried out by The State Institute for Forensic and Social Medicine with three advice centres open.

Drugs that can be tested for their composition and purity include cannabis, ecstasy, speed, cocaine and LSD.

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People will get the results back on their drugs three days after submission, with the results sent over to the appropriate counselling centre.

Employees at the centres explain the results and can answer any questions accordion to RBB, with further consultations available and the anonymity of the person preserved.

The aim of the Drug Checking project is to minimise the risk of drug taking, alongside detecting consumption and drug trends in Berlin.

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"In our opinion, drug checking is successful if we can avoid damage to health and if we, as drug help, reach users who would otherwise not be reached by drug help or who would be reached much too late," says the pharmaceutical director of the project, Tibor Harrach to RBB.

Meanwhile in Ireland, a selection of festivals are currently trialling drug testing “in a safe, non-judgemental manner”.

Operated by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland, the Safer Nightlife programme will allow festival-goers to use its “back of house” drug testing service to help identify any concerns.

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter