[The Economist] | Festival drug-testing shows a way to reduce harm

As thousands of young people danced in the sun at Britain’s Mutiny Festival on Saturday, two partygoers lay dying. Another dozen or so were sent to hospital. All are thought to have reacted badly to illegal drugs—and they will not be the last such casualties of the year. The death rate in Britain from ecstasy, a popular festival drug, is at its highest-ever level. Meanwhile deaths from opioids are on the rise across the rich world, particularly in America, where overdoses now kill more people than either cars or guns.

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Testing allows consumers to make a more informed choice. And it is catching on beyond the festival circuit. The Loop, the charity that carried out the Bristol tests, has begun to offer drug-checks in city centres. [Read more]