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Pill testing service could return to Spilt Milk 2023 festival in Canberra
A deal’s not done until it’s done, of course, but Mr Vumbaca is hopeful after failing to get anywhere with hundreds of other insurers. If he is right, pill-testing at the festival on November 25 would be there just after possession of small amounts of drugs was decriminalized on October 28, so making penalties light. […]
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Mother of teenager who died at Sydney music festival urges Minns government to introduce pill testing
Ms Ross-King and her family have campaigned for active measures to reduce drug-related risks, including pill testing. “The premier, government, governments before them … they want young people to change their behaviour,” she said. “They are not going to change their behaviour. The government needs to change their behaviour.” […]
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Two people dead after attending Knockout Outdoor music festival in Western Sydney
President of Harm Reduction Australia and Pill Testing Australia Gino Vumbaca said his offer to conduct free trials had been knocked back by the state government for the past five years. […]
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Fresh calls to end use of sniffer dogs at festivals after report finds low success rate
New figures indicate drug detection dogs have a low success rate. Some are urging for an end to their use at music festivals – as well as the practice of strip searches – and the implementation of pill testing. […]
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They save lives and keep the public safe. Should there be more of these rooms in Australia?
The Victorian government is facing renewed pressure to “save lives” by creating more safe injecting rooms, but experts explain stigma could be leading to “cold feet”. […]
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‘Out of control’: new findings suggest NSW Police aren’t abiding by strip search procedures
Gino Vumbaca, President of Harm Reduction Australia and Pill Testing Australia, questioned why strip searching has to continue in the first place. “I think what’s fundamentally missing from this report is an understanding of the impact of strip searching people, and young people at that” […]
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Drug-detection dogs are wrong more than right, data reveals
NSW Police drug-detection dogs incorrectly detect illicit substances on patrons 75 per cent of the time, raising questions about the efficacy of enforcement as the state’s festival season starts. […]
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Health experts say Victoria should prepare struggling drug therapy system for fentanyl influx
Victorian public health experts have warned an influx of the opioid fentanyl will result in thousands of overdoses due to the state’s ill-equipped drug therapy system. […]
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Waiting for a crisis: Fears as NSW enters festival season without drug reform
Harm Reduction Australia has offered to run a free pill testing trial at any festival of the NSW government’s choosing, but has been told no decisions will be made until after a drug summit. […]
