HSE warns pill-poppers at Electric Picnic to wait two hours between taking drugs

The advice to “start low, go slow and leave at least two hours before considering to take more” comes after a warning of "high strength" drugs that have been identified at the festival site.

The drug testing team at the festival said the tablet, known as the Mybrand purple skull, contains around two times the average adult dose of MDM, “which is cause for concern”.

The HSE has a drug testing facility at the festival, which runs until Monday, for the first time.

People can anonymously submit substances in a so-called surrender bin at the HSE testing tent to check their potency and contents.

The pilot programme ais to provide “real-time information” about the composition of drugs at the festival, with the HSE saying it can then “identify and communicate if extra dangerous substances are in circulation”.

Testers get drugs to test through "surrender bins" and on-site medics.

The new initiative is being supported by the Department of Justice and An Garda Sicohana. The HSE led "surrender bin" does not grant amnesty from arrest or prosecution for those found in possession of controlled drugs at the event and normal legislation and Garda enforcement plans apply.

MDMA, or Methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine, is a potent central nervous system stimulant primarily used for recreational purposes.

The desired effects include altered sensations, increased energy, empathy, and pleasure.