Reading and Leeds Festivals Launch Drug Awareness Campaign

The drug outreach campaign titled ‘Look Out for Each Other’ is set to launch ahead of Leeds and Reading festivals.

The campaign strategy will focus on promoting awareness around the risks of mixing drugs with alcohol and multiple drug mixing, as well as ensuring you stay hydrated if you’re consuming intoxicants. While also warning young people to be wary of their tolerance given the past 12-18 months without being out in clubs or events.

The organisers behind the Reading and Leeds Festivals are working in collaboration with council officers in both regions. They have together created a series of animations – which will be published on social media and shown on screens at both festival sites across the weekends.

Additionally, for the first time, drug advisory points will be installed at the Leeds site. 

The campaign has been motivated in large part as a result of the drug-related death of Anya Buckley, 17, from Oldham – who sadly passed away in the early hours of 24th August 2019 after taking a number of drugs.

The inquest into her death from coroner – Kevin McLoughlin – sent the ‘preventing future death report’ to Leeds City Council, which prompted council officers to team up with Leeds and Reading festival to bring about this campaign.

Dan Burn, the public health lead for drugs and alcohol in the West Yorkshire region, said:

“For some, it may be the first major event they’ve been to for a long time; for some, it will be the first major event in their life,

“We want these messages to be in people’s heads and not for them to see them when they first get there when it is potentially too late.”

Other festivals previously have actively carried out drug testing, although Leeds and Reading are yet to confirm whether they will provide drug testing facilities.