Introduction and Aims Preloading is a cultural phenomenon that has gained notoriety within the substance use literature. Although a plethora of research has investigated alcohol‐preloading, a reliable study exploring the prevalence and consumption practices associated with drug‐ and polysubstance‐preloading is yet to be conducted. The aim of this presentation is to explore the breadth and severity of drug‐preloading behaviours.

Design and Methods In all, 4314 people completed a self‐report questionnaire and were administered a BrAC as they entered NEDs throughout metropolitan and regional Queensland, Australia. Data was collected Thursday nights to Sunday mornings from popular entry points into the NED.

Results and Key Findings More than 5% of individuals reported to have preloaded with drugs. The majority of drug‐preloaders were polysubstance users, often preloading with alcohol and one or more party drugs. Ecstasy was most commonly reported at preloading events, followed by cannabis and then cocaine. Individuals that reported to have drug‐preloaded presented higher BrAC readings upon entering the NED than non‐drug users.

Discussion and Conclusions Although only a small minority of participants surveyed reported to incorporate party drugs into their substance use repertoires, these findings highlight that preloading is a more diverse and dangerous practice than what was previously believed. We will further discuss our future research which seeks to validate self‐report drug use and detail what drugs people come in contact with over the course of the night using Ion Trap Mobility Spectrometry.

Implications for Practice or Policy Implications of this research extend to aid in policy development and public health intervention targeting problematic substance use behaviours inside NEDs.