Pill test trial will keep music festivalgoers safe
Midnight Mafia - to be held on May 3 at Sydney Showground - will be the second music festival in NSW to participate in the state-backed trial aimed at drug harm reduction. The festival draws more than 20,000 attendees annually.
The first, in March, was the Yours and Owls festival in Wollongong, where 100 punters used the facility.
Police also charged 23 people with possessing prohibited drugs and kicked out six patrons, with the government emphasising "illicit drugs remain illegal in NSW."
Health Minister Ryan Park said the 12-month trial where up to 10 sites will be included was a crucial health intervention.
"This trial is about helping festivalgoers make more informed decisions about drug use with the goal of reducing harm and saving lives," he said on Tuesday.
The free and anonymous drug-checking service allows patrons to bring a small sample of substances they intend to consume for analysis.
Qualified health staff provide a rapid evaluation of the main components of the substances in line with available technology, and an indication of potency where possible.
Advocates say pill testing is a proven harm minimisation strategy used in many countries for decades, while opponents say it sends mixed messages about the risks of using and possessing illicit drugs.
The announcement of the second festival to participate in the trial comes after a contentious drug summit report released earlier in April.
Among its 56 recommendations was a pilot phase to stop the use of sniffer dogs and strip-searching festival patrons suspected of possessing drugs.
Drug-checking was also the top recommendation of a 2019 inquiry into the deaths of six young people at music festivals when Coroner Harriet Grahame found evidence to support community- and festival-based services was "compelling".
That recommendation was rejected by the then-Liberal government, which opted instead for amnesty bins at festival entrances.
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