Pill testing has faced a setback in Australia with insurers withdrawing insurance from Groovin the Moo festival in Canberra.
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The Drug and Substance Checking Bill currently moving through parliament marks another milestone in New Zealand’s shift away from criminalisation and towards harm reduction.
There are arguments against pill testing. But none are as compelling or evidence-based as the arguments for it.
Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said conducting on-site drug tests at public events “safely and quickly is not really a practical option”. But the technology is available.
If people are going to take drugs, wouldn’t it be better if they knew what was in them?
Not only are our drug policies not working, we’re falling behind the rest of the world and what evidence says is best to ensure we have fewer deaths from illicit drugs.
Testing drugs at music festivals not only means we can assess whether they contain anything unexpected, but it’s an opportunity to try to change the behaviour of users.
Top contributors
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Senior lecturer, Australian National University
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Professor of Medicine, Monash University
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Professor in Substance Use, Liverpool John Moores University
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Senior Researcher, Liverpool John Moores University
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Research assistant, Liverpool John Moores University
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Honorary Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Law, University of Waikato
