A social scientist is urging authorities to take a “harm reduction” approach ahead of another festival planned for the Australia Day weekend.

After nine people were hospitalised with overdoses at a festival in Flemington last month, the Rainbow Spirit Festival – which was last held in 2019 – will take place on Sunday.

Monica Barratt from the Australia’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre said a different approach had to be taken, which aims to protect those festivalgoers at risk of an overdose.

Click PLAY to hear more about the plan to help reduce drug overdoses

“What harm reduction does is it takes a pragmatic view,” he said told Jacqui Felgate on 3AW Drive.

“It’s a philosophy that we know some people will continue to take drugs.”