{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/642467.json"},"data":{"type":"archived-petition","id":642467,"parliament":{"period":"2019-2024","government":"Conservative","dissolution_at":"2024-05-30T00:01:00.000+01:00","response_threshold":10000,"debate_threshold":100000},"attributes":{"action":"Reverse the Government’s U-Turn on On-Site Drug Testing at Festivals","background":"The Home Office recently introduced a law under which festival organisers who wish to offer on-site public drug testing will have to apply for a license to be able to do so. It can take up to 16 weeks for the license to be approved, at a significant cost.Festivals have been unable to offer testing.","additional_details":"Public testing saves lives. Evidence suggests that when public testing services such as The Loop are operating on site, festivals see a 10-15% reduction in drug related harm. \r\nCertain 2023 festivals saw crystal methamphetamine being sold on site. Such a substance can easy be missold as MDMA crystals - statistically the most widely used substance at festivals. \r\nPublic testing can prevent such atrocities. Harm reduction and education will always be more effective than a blanket ban.","committee_note":null,"state":"rejected","signature_count":13,"created_at":"2023-08-15T01:40:14.857Z","updated_at":"2023-08-21T10:16:39.968Z","rejected_at":"2023-08-21T10:16:29.787Z","opened_at":null,"closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2023-08-15T02:01:30.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"rejection":{"code":"duplicate","details":"You may wish to sign this petition which calls for a similar action: \r\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640252\r\nAllow on-site drug testing at festivals without a licence or permanent structure"},"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[]}}}