News
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Pill testing saves lives, it doesn’t create addicts
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…
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RACGP President backs calls for pill testing following another death
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…
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Rainbow Serpent video calls for “evidence-based” approach
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…
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Devastated Family Of Teen Who Died After FOMO Festival Begs Premier For Pill Testing
“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…
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Newcastle University Students’ Association to reintroduce pill testing kits
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”. […]
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Evidence clearly shows the benefits of pill testing
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…
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The Australian Festival Association Has Implored State Governments To Back Pill Testing
The organisers behind some of Australia’s biggest music festivals, including Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, Groovin’ The Moo and Laneway, have written to state and territory governments calling for pill testing trials and slamming the country’s current approach to illicit drug use as dangerous and “out-of touch”. […]
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Festival overdoses spark calls for pill testing
Dr Caldicott said Pill Testing Australia has plans to implement testing at more festivals this year, but they will only work in jurisdictions where police allow it. “It’s not our job to undermine law enforcement,” Dr Caldicott said. “We won’t provide this service unless we have a statement in writing…
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The benefits of pill testing
Education is the key. Let’s face it, people are going to do drugs despite all the crackdowns and tut-tutting. It is a fact, whether we like it or not. Each day we spend arguing against pill testing or spend time “exploring” it instead of implementing it is another day that…
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Why pill testing should be considered as a means to reduce illicit drug use at festivals
Education and harm minimisation strategies such as pill testing should be considered as a means to reduce the risky behaviour of illicit drug use at large festivals. We need to be talking about it instead of driving discussions about illicit drug use underground. Harm minimisation strategies can create an avenue to…
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‘Young people deserve better’: festivals push governments on pill testing
A protest calling for the introduction of pill testing in NSW is set to be staged in front of the Sydney Town Hall on January 19. The event has been organised by Reclaim The Streets, political party Keep Sydney Open, harm minimisation group Unharm and anti-drug detection dog campaigners Sniff…
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Australian Festival Association: drug policy ‘endangering lives’
We do not believe that pill-testing is the only answer. But it is a crucial part of a broader harm reduction strategy that prioritises people’s health and safety, over criminality or laws. Encouraging drug abstinence instead of education is out-of-touch, proven to be ineffective and unnecessarily risking lives. Young people…