The presence of sniffer dogs at festivals has been shown to lead to panicked consumption of substances outside the venue, thus increasing the likelihood of overdoses.

The study by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre also describes attend away from cannabis use and towards ecstasy and methamphetamine use by festival goers in an attempt to conceal their substances from sniffer dogs.

Read more here and check out this comprehensive guide to sniffer dogs, your rights, safety.

Youth AOD workers have a long history of providing a presence at festivals and events to proactively reduce the harms of substance use amongst young people without increasing panicked behaviour.