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People in Bristol will now be able to test their drugs before taking them thanks to a groundbreaking initiative.

The Loop’s Multi Agency Safety Testing Service (MAST), which has been rolled out at a number of UK festivals, will now be available in the heart of Bristol - making it the first time a drug safety testing service has been open to the general public in a UK town or city.

On Saturday evening a team of 40 chemists and healthcare professionals from the charity ran a pop-up laboratory in the city centre, testing substances brought in by members of the public to see if they contained what the buyers thought they did.

Despite minimal warning that The Loop was going to operate its confidential service from Brunswick Square, which both Bristol City Council and Avon & Somerset Police are supporting, it was well-used throughout its pilot.

“This initiative has been discussed for several years and we’re delighted to finally be able to launch it,” said Fiona Measham, director of The Loop.

“Like a number of major cities, Bristol is suffering from an increase in drug related deaths and hospital admissions, so everyone including police and council are willing to consider new initiatives and we really feel we can make a difference.

“I think the catalyst was the tragic death of the 19-year-old girl at Motion last autumn. Some people were concerned that the club might close as a result of it but I’m glad it hasn’t, as that’s not the way to stop people taking drugs.”

(Image: Fiona Measham)

The Loop has a six-month contract with Bristol City Council to provide its service here and will be here on a monthly basis, as well as in the build-up to big festivals and raves, in the hope people will test their substances before attending them.

As part of the testing service, people must also have a short session with a specially trained councillor.

At the pilot on Saturday, The Loop found that one in five people were mis-sold substances and further samples were much higher in strength than expected, which could have had damaging consequences had those people decided to take what they had bought.

The UK currently has the highest drug related death rate in Europe and in 2016, the highest ever number of drug-related deaths was recorded in the UK.

(Image: © Sarah Koury / Entirety Labs)

Fiona added: “Of course, we don’t condone drug taking but we encourage those who do take recreational drugs to pre-plan before events and come to us beforehand to make sure what they have bought is what they think it is.

“That way we can put out an alert in the area if someone brings us something which could have damaging consequences.”

When The Loop ran the same testing facility at Boomtown in 2017, nearly half of festival-goers who used the service said they would reduce their drug taking or discard their drugs afterwards.

The service will next be in Bristol's Brunswick Square on Friday, May 25, a day before Love Saves The Day, as well as at the festival itself.

Speaking to ITV News, Avon & Somerset Police inspector Martin Rowland said: "We're looking at other approaches in partnership with other agencies who lead in this.

"We're supportive of anything that gives the opportunity to educate people in terms of some of the drugs they're taking and perhaps give them the opportunity to make the choice themselves that they won't go ahead with that sort of behaviour."

Bristol Live is awaiting further comments from Bristol City Council and Avon & Somerset Police.

For more information about The Loop, visit its website here.