Debate contribution: Drug-testing Schemes

Debate contribution by Mr Danny Donnelly on 30 September 2025.

MLA

Mr Danny Donnelly

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

30 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Drug-testing Schemes

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5143044

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank Órlaithí and the other Sinn Féin MLAs for tabling this important motion. We have attended many events at which we have spoken to people who have lost loved ones to drugs and substance overdose. It is a serious issue across our society, so it is good that we are debating it today and thinking about what we can do about it. I also thank the DUP for tabling its amendment, which we will support as well. We all know that illegal drugs should be condemned. I unequivocally believe that the first approach should be to recognise their harm and not partake. That is the ideal. The reality, however, is that drug use happens no matter how much we disagree with it. We cannot deny that, so, if we want to save lives, we need to give serious consideration to how models such as drug checking can be adapted and introduced in Northern Ireland in a meaningful way to tackle the crisis that we face. We need to face facts. Northern Ireland has the second-highest rate of drug-related deaths in the UK after Scotland. Young adults aged 25 to 34 account for the largest share of drug-related deaths in Northern Ireland, and the death rate in that age group has more than doubled in the past decade. We cannot ignore the fact that that is happening. While I agree that there is no safe way of taking drugs, and I urge anyone who is considering taking drugs never to do so, I recognise that it is easy for us to say those words and consider our moral slate clean without taking real and holistic steps to address the wider issues in society. Without testing, you can never be sure of what is in a substance or be sure of its strength. That is the point of testing: it is done so that people can make an informed decision. No one deserves to die because they have made a mistake or a bad decision. This is not about international drug gangs and the mass supply of illegal drugs; it is about young people at festivals who are not educated on the harm of drug use and who, if they spoke to someone in a safe environment, free from judgement and harm, may make a more informed decision. Research by Queen's University has made it clear that there is an urgent need for enhanced services, including immediate access to drug testing. Preventative measures such as that are health-centred rather than punishment-centred and are based on evidence rather than fear. In a survey of nearly 1,200 Irish festivalgoers that was conducted by the Irish Journal of Medical Science, 87% admitted to using more than one substance. Strikingly, 93% said that they would be willing to use independent drug-checking services. That willingness tells us something important, which is that people are open to making safer choices when they are given the tools and the information to do so. Drug checking acknowledges the reality that people take drugs and that young people will experiment. It provides people, especially young people, with the chance to make informed decisions. Education about risks will always be vital, but so, too, is empathy and honesty. Drugs are easily available across all our communities, whether rural or urban. They are imported into Northern Ireland in huge amounts every week and are taken by many people across our society. There is a huge black market industry here; ultimately, if there were no market for drugs, that would not exist. I encourage young people in particular to seek out reliable information on drugs, and I highlight Talk to Frank as a confidential website on which to do so. Initiatives such as The Loop, the UK's first systematic drug-checking service, have shown what can be achieved by analysing substances and providing tailored advice. That service not only helps individuals to avoid immediate harm but collects intelligence that can inform wider public health responses. Even the police, who are experienced in drug crime, back that stance. Jason Kew, the former violence reduction unit, drugs, exploitation and harm reduction lead —

Thank you. Yes, I absolutely agree, and I will add that rapidly getting the alarms out and getting the information to the public can save lives. The quicker that those messages can be put into circulation, the quicker that people can be informed to avoid making the wrong decisions. Jason Kew, from Thames Valley Police, said:

"Drug checking is reducing drug use through knowledge, harm reduction and welfare, and for a considerable number of people who are receiving this information for the first time in their lives, drug checking is crucially saving lives. This approach isn't about acquiescing or normalising drug use, this is about proactive harm reduction and it is achieving positive results. A single drug related death is one too many."

There is a lot to be said about that response. Essentially, it is not about morality; it is about protecting life. Drug checking is health-centred and evidence-based, and it deserves serious consideration here in Northern Ireland. If even one life can be saved, it is worth it.

857 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:16 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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