There were splashes in the media last year about harm reduction advice being dispensed at Electric Picnic for the first time. Lazy hacks ushered a sigh of relief – here was a new element to add to well worn column inch filling codology about bog roll and fashionable wellies. Rashers Tierney looks at the need to encourage safer sessioning at festivals and chats to some pioneers in the field out foreign.
Common Sense.
Above: Wendy Teasdill is the mother of Ellie Rowe. Ellie died at the festival in 2013 after mixing a small amount of alcohol with a small amount of high purity K. The family gave a heart rendering talk at Speakers Corner at Boomtown this year. Across the pond, drug-related dates are spiking. So this year’s Boomtown was something of a revelation in the kind of harm reduction strategies, that can … Read More
Nice People Take Drugs.
These t-shirts from Release gave us a chuckle this morning. Release is a UK based charity campaigning for reform of the drugs laws. They popped into our feed earlier and put a brief grin on our face in the middle of this otherwise bleak “suicide Tuesday” morning. Those with some form of memory left might recall a brief scandal back in 2009 when the charity had ads along these … Read More
Celebrate #rabble13! Notes On Rave In Dublin and Super Duper Special Guest Fiona Measham!
Ahoy, to celebrate the launch of #rabble13 and put a bit of steam behind our Patreon we’re absolutely peaked to say we’ve poached the legend that is Fiona Measham from the Club Health Conference to do a presentation on her rave related research and harm reduction work. And to make a real occasion of it, we’re gonna fittingly screen Notes On Rave In Dublin too. It’s been a bit of … Read More
The Long March For Medicinal Marijuana.
Above: Medical cannabis campaigner Vera Twomey on the march in Littleton. Photos from Gino Kenny’s Facebook page. Her long march for medicinal cannabis put Cork Mother Vera Twomey in the news as she battles on behalf of her daughter. She’s returning to protest at the Dail this Wednesday and we’ve a feeling she won’t be on her own. Fergal Eccles and Beggars take us through the background to the Medical Cannabis Bill … Read More
Meanwhile on RT…eh?
Maybe we’re being hyper-sensitive, but it’s doubtful “junkie” is a term found in the RTE style guide for social media managers.
Especially as one to reach for when promoting a programme about how sound The Guards are. The victim of the assault in question even uses the term “drug user”.
There’s not even the subtlety of a quotation mark to keep the term at arms length.
When even government ministers have been taking bold steps towards drug decriminalisation, rehabilitation and safe “shooting gallery” injection clinics, this derogatory catch-all term belongs to a time past.
Bad enough they’ve tossed money into a fluff piece for The Guards.
We’ve looked at RTE’s use of accents previously.
Way On My Brain.
“Seems like everyone’s doing coke?” says Karl Parkison in this blistering attack on Dublin’s rampant love for oner bags of gak. It’s filmed against the madness of Temple Bar on Paddy’s Day and lyrically remind us of The List by Northwall in its searing assault on “teeth grinding fools” and “locked bedrooms.” You can read more about Karl Parkinson’s forthcoming book The Blocks here. Landing in July 2016.
Enda Days.
Say hello to Dono. He’s the self-chosen prophet of the end times and brings a paranoiac dose of the surreal to staid political commentary. Digs get thrown at our most reverent leader, a cyborg production facility is discovered in RTE and a rather tenuous conspiracy is put forth about the zika virus. Oh there’s a touch of They Live off it alright. Pay attention. Quiet down there at the back. … Read More
2C-Wha?
Pictured: A screen grab from a flick called Dirty Pictures where Alexander Shuglin gives some background on his work as the grandaddy of MDMA. A terrifying tale of drug misadventure came to our attention from Cork today. Several people were hospitalized at a house party amidst nightmarish scenes. The press has made a bit of a hames of the reporting, with the Irish Examiner and others citing 2CP as … Read More
A Bit Of Sense.
The Lord Mayor Criona Ni Dhalaigh and several students unions in the Dublin area today launched a poster campaign to push a harm reduction strategy around pills. While surely welcome, it’s a bit sad it’s taken til 2015 for this rather muted approach to harm reduction to take hold. I’m not here to poop all over the party, it’s impossible not to compare it to to the far more … Read More