HSE and Four Four Magazine Safer Nightlife and Drug Use Survey

Against the backdrop of changing drug trends in Ireland, Four Four and the HSE are coming together to open a wider conversation around nightlife safety, harm reduction and informed decision-making.

As many of our readers know, we’ve long advocated for safer nightlife spaces in Ireland and beyond. Dancefloors, clubs, festivals and late-night spaces are more than weekend destinations for our community, they are places of connection, release, expression and belonging. As nightlife continues to evolve across the island, conversations around safety, education and care have never felt more important.

Over the coming months, we’ll be working alongside the HSE Drug Awareness team on a new initiative focused on harm reduction, education and informed decision-making around drug use in Ireland. At the core of this collaboration is the goal to give people access to honest, practical information that helps them make safer choices.

Understanding the realities of drug use today, how habits are changing and where gaps in messaging currently exist is a vital first step in building meaningful resources and support systems for people attending events across the country.

As part of the initiative, Four Four will host a live panel discussion later this month featuring voices from across nightlife, healthcare, music and advocacy. The conversation will bring together artists, industry professionals and harm reduction experts to explore the current landscape of nightlife culture and the importance of accessible drug education within it.

Ahead of the event, we’re asking our community to take part in an anonymous survey designed to help gather real insight into current drug use trends across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The HSE are also working closely with colleagues in Northern Ireland as part of a wider cross-border partnership, with findings from this survey helping to inform future approaches to education, awareness and harm reduction across the island.

For this project to have value, it needs to reflect the lived experiences of the people within our scene. Whether you attend festivals occasionally or spend every weekend in clubs and venues around the country, your perspective matters.