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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. […]
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Sunrise host delivers impassioned plea for government to consider pill testing, citing overwhelming stats
Sunrise’s entertainment host has called for a national debate about pill testing, citing the high numbers of Aussies who use illicit drugs and European countries that already conduct the practice. […]
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History, not harm, dictates why some drugs are legal and others aren’t
Whether you morally agree with drug use or not, the current drug laws are neither reducing harm nor stopping use. It’s time for a different approach. […]
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Drug overdoses mount as debate continues
Ms Berejiklian again ruled out any proposed pill-testing trials, saying instead that she hoped people were starting to heed a ‘just say no’ message. Last week the Australian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists added their support for pill-testing trials, joining the Australian Medical Association, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, and RACGP president…
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‘Thirty years of failed drugs policy’: Rainbow Serpent organisers defend festival
The issue is created by 30 years of failed drugs policy, and we’re still waiting for governments to catch up,” Mr Harvey told ABC radio’s Jon Faine. “We are the people trying to do our best to meet these challenges and we are waiting for governments and other organisations to get on board with this rather than continuing the same…
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How many more young people have to die before we embrace pill testing?
Will pill testing stop drug deaths at music festivals? According to similar measures taken in Europe, it very well might. But even if it doesn’t, surely we have to try. […]
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‘I Can’t Imagine What You Go Through’: Emotional Scenes As Pill Testing Petition Delivered
Daley said his position on pill testing had not changed, but that he was open to hearing evidence it worked, pointing to injecting rooms being established after the historic 1999 drug summit convened by former Premier Bob Carr.”People were furiously opposed to that, but no one could say now that it didn’t work,” Daley said. […]
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Psychiatrists cancel cannabis debate after no one would argue for criminalising users
A debate on whether criminalising people who use cannabis protects against mental ill health did not take place because no one agreed to argue that current UK law protects the health of people who take the drug. […]
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NZ: Free drug testing in spotlight as festival season kicks off
Event organisers couldn’t publicly state drug-testing kits were available at their venues because the Misuse of Drugs Act made it illegal to knowingly permit drug use at any premises. “Until the law changes we have to be discreet about where we are going.” […]
