This miniguide is one of a larger set, which together comprise Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide. It provides an overview of what to consider when planning or delivering health and social responses to drug-related problems in festivals, nightlife and other recreational settings, and reviews the available interventions and their effectiveness. It also considers implications for policy and practice.

Bars, nightclubs and other recreational venues provide young people in Europe with opportunities to socialise and dance. During the summer months, large music festivals attract thousands of visitors, among whom the use of psychoactive substances is much more common than in the general population. Drug and alcohol use in nightlife settings can be associated with a range of health and social problems, including acute intoxication, unconsciousness and unintentional injury, aggressive behaviour and violence, unsafe sex and sexual violence, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Because many of these harms are associated with excessive use on a particular occasion, many responses in nightlife settings aim to promote safer use patterns and improve the safety of people who use substances in these settings.