Drug use is a health issue, and should be looked at as a health issue. We need to trust our health experts on pill testing — and if they are saying we need to test pills to keep young people safe, we should. […]

‘The great myth about pill testing is just that we’re just telling people what’s in their pills,’ Dr Caldicott said. ‘The reality is that we know it works very well in stopping people from taking drugs – or at least changes the way they take drugs so that they don’t end up in the hospital.’ […]

Pill testing will not completely solve the problems associated with illicit drug consumption by young people at music festivals, but it does provide an avenue for opportunistic engagement with health professionals, drug and alcohol counsellors, and highly-trained peer educators. […]

Canberra doctor David Caldicott will fly up to Darwin and test pills for revellers at BASSINTHEGRASS free of charge, if the NT Government lets him. Dr Caldicott’s organisation, Pill Testing Australia, is offering its pilot pill testing program to any Australian jurisdiction keen to take up the offer. […]

The AMA has reaffirmed its support for sanctioned, appropriately supervised, and monitored high-quality pill testing trials to minimise the risk to young people, and build an evidence base to determine the effectiveness of pill testing in Australia. At its meeting last week in Canberra, the AMA Federal Council formally and unanimously reinforced the AMA’s support for the trials. […]

The AMA Queensland has issued a statement calling for a controlled pill testing trial, following the worst season for drug-related deaths at music festivals to date. State president Dr Dilip Dhupelia said urgent action is required following the deaths of six young people from drugs consumed at music festivals this summer. […]

Pill Testing Australia’s clinical lead David Caldicott, said he would be thrilled if the group could help Tasmania in its efforts to introduce pill testing at Dark Mofo and facilitate a trial. “In the end this is just to ensure people get home to their mums and dads,” said Dr Caldicott. […]

Tasmania could become the first state in Australia to introduce pill testing, with the push gaining support from a maverick Liberal MP and the Dark Mofo festival, which may go it alone to offer a testing service. […]

The organisers of Tasmania‘s Dark Mofo winter festival have indicated that they may offer a pill testing service at this year’s event, following on from a trial that was held last year in the Australian Capital Territory. ABC News report that representatives of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), which runs the annual event, will be meeting with Pill Testing Australia on Monday for further discussions […]

The truth is Australia’s tough on drug policy is failing spectacularly. In 2016 the amount of drug deaths in Australia was the highest it’s been in twenty years, at pace with the number of fatalities during the peak of the heroin crisis. The majority of those deaths took place outside of metropolitan areas. […]