Concern over sniffer dogs near first NSW pill-testing site in Wollongong

The Guardian

28-02-2025

Police will keep a highly visible presence including sniffer dogs around the site of a long-awaited pill testing pilot but say safety is the top priority.
The two-day Yours and Owls music festival in Wollongong – headlined by US rapper Denzel Curry and UK band The Kooks – will host a drug checking site over the weekend, offering the harm reduction measure to thousands of festival-goers in NSW for the first time.
It's the first of 12 festivals to have the service as part of a year-long government-run pilot.
But the continued use of sniffer dogs despite known effects on risk-taking has raised concern.
Victoria police in December said it would not have drug detection dogs at the state's first music festival to trial pill testing.
'There is a genuine risk to people's safety at music festivals when there is high-visibility policing, including drug dogs,' Greens MP Cate Faehrmann told AAP.
'If people are going to take drugs, we want them to do so as safely as possible and that is not what a highly visible police presence leads to.'
Alexandra Ross-King died at a music festival in 2019 after consuming three MDMA capsules and multiple alcoholic drinks.
A friend told her inquest the 19-year-old took two capsules at the festival gates when she became nervous she'd be caught by sniffer dogs.
Police plan to use local police, sniffer dogs and other commands at the festival.
Safety of festival goers was the top priority, Det Acting Supt Glen Broadhead said.
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'Police will be targeting antisocial behaviour and alcohol-fuelled violence and any behaviour that puts yourself or others at risk will not be tolerated,' he said.
'Prohibited drugs are illegal and potentially life-threatening, especially when combined with alcohol. We urge anyone who feels unwell or needs medical assistance to attend one of the medical tents on-site.'
Once inside the drug checking service – attached to the festival's medical tent – users will be presented with health and safety issues with illicit drugs from non-government peer workers.
Amnesty bins will also be present.
Up to six patrons at a time can have their drugs checked, with analysis taking about 10 minutes followed by further discussion.
'Depending on what has been found, they can be educated further on the risks or be alerted to 'this is actually a dangerous substance',' festival co-founder Ben Tillman told ABC Radio Sydney.
Some results may led to broader warnings to attendees or feed into intelligence for peer workers and medical staff on the ground, the state's chief health officer said.
Health, police and liquor regulators are overseeing the implementation of the $1m trial.
Drug checking is available in at least 28 countries, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
Queensland's new conservative government this week reiterated plans to shut down community drug checking services in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.