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. […]

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”. […]

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 from law enforcement that this will be tolerated for the…

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 we may lose more lives. […]

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 start a conversation with young people about what they are…

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 Off. […]