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New Zealand university students offered free drug-testing in ‘harm-prevention’ first
New Zealand university students offered free drug-testing in ‘harm-prevention’ first | World news | The Guardian Green party MP Chlöe Swarbrick said drug testing was in line with a health-based approach to illegal drug use, and was a positive step towards drug harm reduction. The Drug Foundation of New Zealand, which is taking part in the testing, also applauded the…
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Pill testing trial for Groovin the Moo given go-ahead after spate of festival deaths
Pill testing trial for Groovin the Moo given go-ahead after spate of festival deaths – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Festival-goers will again be able to get their illicit drugs checked for dangerous substances at this year’s Groovin the Moo music festival in Canberra, after the ACT Government signed off on a trial being held inside the festival gates. […]
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It’s time to change our drug dog policies to catch dealers, not low-level users at public events
Research has suggested the presence of drug detection dogs at festivals and other public places seldom deters drug-taking. But it often leads to more risky drug behaviour from people who use drugs, such as purchasing drugs inside rather than outside festivals, switching to less detectable but more harmful drugs, and hurried consumption of drugs upon sight of dogs. […]
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‘There’s no reason not to trial pill testing’: UNSW drug policy scholar stands firm on the evidence
Professor Alison Ritter has risen to national prominence in recent months due to her headline-making research on pill testing. Calls for pill testing have been continuously ignited by researchers and rejected by the NSW government, after six drug-related deaths at Australian music festivals in the last six months. “There seems to be no reason not to trial pill testing in…
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A Rally Against the NSW Government’s Live Music Laws Is Happening Next Thursday
Organisers of the rally want the government to form a roundtable to review the new rules impacting live music and to work with festival organisers to develop a transparent standard for policing and medical services. “We are for a solution that is proactive in the minimisation of harm. Not in the introduction of a poorly thought through method of regulation,…
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Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania supports pill testing at festivals
Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania chief executive Alison Lai said zero tolerance “cannot continue to be the only approach”. “The ATDC calls for the convening of an advisory committee of relevant stakeholders and experts to investigate options for trialing pill testing at Tasmania’s music festivals and events,” Ms Lai told The Examiner. […]
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NSW government’s “War on Festivals” blamed for Mountain Sounds’ cancellation
As Mountain Sounds becomes the second victim of these regulations in the last week, it seems increasingly suspicious that forcing festivals to close down due to unrealistic costs is the Government’s way of preventing drug deaths. People are now calling this “The War on Festivals” and Sydney’s lock out laws are an example of how well-intended but out of touch…
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‘It is time’: City of Sydney councillors back pill-testing ‘dry-run’
City of Sydney councillors have backed calls for an urgent NSW drug summit and supported a pill-testing demonstration in a bid to drive down the number of young people dying at music festivals. Five young people have died from suspected drug overdoses at music festivals in Australia since September, reigniting heated debate over whether pill-testing should be trialled at the events.…
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Current drug laws contribute to unnecessary death
Whether motivated by self-centred pragmatism or ideological purity, the price that the community, families and individuals are paying for the opposition to pill testing is too high. Politicians must understand that human lives are not something to be traded away for the sake of keeping party members happy (and donating) or to defend a narrow ideal of what is acceptable…
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‘Don’t bury your head in the sand’: NZ police minister has spray at Australians over pill testing
Mr Nash, who supports pill testing but does not condone drug use, told Hack the current ‘tough on drugs’ approach was not working. “Young people are taking drugs at festivals, if we bury our head in the sand and say they’re not we’ll end up like you guys with five deaths,” he said. […]
