Pill testing AKA ‘drug checking’ is a hot topic, with NSW cracking down on basically everything to do with music and party culture. Most recently, the ACT Gov has rejected a proposal to initiate pill testing at Canberra GTM 2017 making the upcoming weekend bender that bit more risky.
While we have safe use policies & labs for Heroin, we’re behind the 8 ball on safe drug use at festivals. Portugal, the UK, Austria and Amsterdam are only some of the countries who understand the benefits of drug checking. The Netherlands has been a forerunner in allowing festival goers to anonymously analysing a drug’s chemical makeup, before ingesting it.
Often festival heads are unaware of what kind of fillers are in their drugs. Dr David Caldicott (ACT) says it’s a misbelief that pill testing encourages taking drugs.
“In fact in the script which we read to the consumer, we advise them the only way to stay safe is not to consume their pill”.
He says 60% of these people told what is actually in their drugs do something other than consume that pill.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr says while “the government is never going to endorse illegal drugs”, they “have responsibilities around harm minimisation”.
Decriminalising drugs promotes safe use and reduces deaths – something NSW lawmakers struggle to comprehend. With or without pill testing, drug culture will endure.
On the B-side, the Greens tell us they’ve got all the evidence they need for this harm minimisation measure:
“Health experts, with the right equipment, are ready to provide a free service to government & we cannot afford to pass up these kinds of opportunities.”
