Peer pressure gets a bad press when it comes to young people, and not without good cause. Research has demonstrated, and on many occasions, that the most careful and cautious, safe and sensible teenager will take more risks when their friends are around than they will left to their own devices. All sorts of neurological adventures taking place in the adolescent brain can conspire against safe decision making, until it settles down around their mid-twenties. However, the powerful force that is peer influence is one that can be used for good or ill, as with many things in this world. And that includes when it comes to harm reduction.
Drug checking services at festivals have been around for a few years now, much of this in the hands of non-profit organisation The Loop’s team of specialists. People bring the drugs they plan to take, under an amnesty agreed with the authorities. They leave a sample with their team of chemists, and collect the results that tell them their strength and contents as part of a conversation with specialist drugs counsellors. The controversy, and even confusion, that this initially received in some quarters – surely this was encouraging and condoning drug use? – soon abated as it became clear that drug-related harm was seriously reduced when this service was available. This was soon backed up with published evidence.
Last week a further study was published that examined the ongoing impact that accessing The Loop’s service had on young people’s decisions about drugs, and their behaviours around drugs, following up a sample of people who’d used their service three months later. There’s so much that’s interesting, enlightening, encouraging and to be celebrated about the findings, but one of the elements that struck us most was the role peers can play in continuing those important conversations about drugs, risks and staying safe that for so many had just begun when they spoke to The Loop.
Many of the young people in The Loop’s tent found themselves having their first ever honest conversation about drugs and drug use with someone who was qualified to give them information and advice – often their first bit of really useful drugs education. What was striking was how many of these kept those conversations going amongst their peers, both during and after the festival itself. As this study has shown, more than two in five (42.5%) of young people said they’d continued to talk more to friends – and acquaintances – about the contents of pills and powders three months after those first festival interventions.
At workshops we always talk to young people about the power of one, about being a positive peer influence, about the important harm reduction role a clear-headed, well-informed, vigilant friend plays for anyone using drugs or alcohol. Being able to have honest, open and informed conversations about drugs is so important, with peers, with parents and with professionals. Well done to The Loop for all they’ve done, in this and in so many ways, in helping young people – and their friends and acquaintances – make safer choices about drugs.
