Caldicott sayd Australia has entered “an evidence-free zone” on drug policy. “This issue of pill-testing is climate change for drugs,” he said. “Young people understand climate change and they understand the consequences. So when politicians wave coal in parliament, young people think they’re knobs. Similarly when young people hear politicians talk about drugs in a way they don’t think is…

If the government didn’t listen after multiple campaigns begged for a fresh approach to the complex problem of drugs at music festivals, maybe a large-scale demonstration at Sydney’s Town Hall will get their attention. This Saturday over 7000 people will descend on Sydney’s Town Hall to demand the Government support pill testing at raves and music festivals. […]

Harm Reduction Australia president Gino Vumbaca said the evidence for pill testing is “being ignored”. “I think it’s a bit disingenuous of the Premier to now say, ‘give me the evidence’, when she set up a taskforce that specifically excluded evidence being presented or discussed,” Mr Vumbaca said. “To not even have the ability to sit down and discuss this…

In a statement on Tuesday, the Ross-King family said it hoped the government would use the teenager’s death to improve “harm reduction” initiatives. “We encourage the government to courageously take all the active measures possible to reduce the risk, in particular festival goers, through intensifying current initiatives as well as implementing other harm reduction strategies,” the statement said. […]

The fact is the “war against drugs” has long been lost, young people are dying due to deadly fillers in their drugs and the current “zero tolerance” approach is not working. And pill testing offers a valuable opportunity for professionals to engage with and educate drug users, and steer them towards help where appropriate. […]

The most recent death has seen RACGP President Dr Harry Nespolon add his voice to a growing chorus of calls to implement further pill testing trials at music festivals. Dr Nespolon believes it is an issue of health and safety, rather than one of law enforcement. ‘At the end of the day, pill testing is nothing to do with legalising and condoning drug use,…

In a video released on Monday, organisers called on state governments across Australia to introduce pill testing. “If we are to stop these horrific tragedies from happening, we all need to acknowledge the failure of zero-tolerance (approaches), and demand our governments consider proven, evidence-based strategies we know will reduce harm and save lives,” festival spokesperson Tim Harvey says in the…

“Premier, please: can we have this pill testing done. It’s such a small thing to do, it’s not hard. Let’s try and get it out there. “If it saves one life — one life is a life. And these are children. In the news, they say ‘young woman’; to me, she’s still a child.” […]

Newcastle University Students’ Association is planning to reintroduce pill testing kits for students as part of a suite of harm minimisation initiatives. Incoming NUSA president Kearnie Kelly said the government’s current policy of “prohibition with high policing has not worked and in many ways has caused more harm”. […]

Australia is lagging behind other nations. There has been an exponential increase in the number of pill testing services across developed nations in the last five years. The opportunity to provide accurate information, including the message that ‘no drug is safe’ has been a feature of all the pill testing services. […]