Researchers in a study on drugs and dance music culture are to attend nightclubs to observe any abuse of drug taking.
About 80 members of Dublin's nightclub industry are co-operating with the project but will not be identified in the study. It is part four of a six-part project, entitled Dublin Dance Safety Initiative - Staying Alive.
Two researchers, employed by the East Coast Area Health Board, will assess the type of clientele, music mix and evidence of any drug use. They will not interview club-goers, but will initially identify themselves to nightclub managers and then blend in with the other club-goers.
Mr Stephen Harding, education officer at the health board, said the researchers would make assessments on whether people were taking drugs by observing behaviour such as dilated eyes, excessive sweating, chopping, and the general atmosphere in the club.
"It's not something you can stand over in court, but we should be able to say `in our opinion these people were taking something'," he said.
Mr Harding said as dance music had become popular at many clubs the study may find drugs were used in certain types of clubs or in clubs in general.
The study is part of a wider project on so-called recreational drug use, with the aim of ensuring young people are not at risk of injury or death from heat stroke or dehydration. "Our primary concern is safety for young people," Mr Harding said.
Previous phases of the research involved training courses for nightclub managers and owners on safety among drug users and developing an information pack for club-goers. Future phases will include setting up a committee of all parties concerned to develop a safety response to the issue of recreational drug use in clubs. A conference is also due to take place on the issue early next year.