Festival Calls On Govt To "Untie Hands Of Promoters" & Introduce Pill Testing

Rainbow Serpent music festival has weighed into the pill testing debate calling for the government "to untie the hands of promoters" in a video.

"We call on state governments around Australia to acknowledge the global evidence showing the benefits of pill testing and to untie the hands of promoters and allow us to deliver world’s best practice care for our patrons," says festival organiser Tim Harvey in the video.

"We promise, changing your mind costs a lot less than human life." 

The video, which was released yesterday, encourages patrons to take care of themselves and seek help if they find themselves in trouble, as well as featuring a number of on-ground support staff and festival attendees. Watch it below. 

The release comes just a few weeks out from the 2019 Rainbow Serpent event, and just a day after the death of 19-year-old Alex Ross-King from a suspected drug overdose after attending FOMO Festival in Sydney on Saturday. 

Ross-King's family yesterday called on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to introduce pill testing. 

"The reason I want the pills tested is, we're not stopping them from being out there. 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," grandmother Denise Doig told Ten Daily. 

"If it saves one life; one life is a life. And these are children."

Berejiklian appeared on Sunrise this morning, standing firm on her stance on pill testing, saying that, "The best message we can send to them [young people] is these substances, the MDMA, the ecstasy, can kill you. Do not take these drugs."

Watch the clip below.

"You're not listening, they're kids"@Kochie_Online takes on NSW Premier @GladysB over her dismissal of pill testing, which experts say will prevent drug deaths at music festivals. pic.twitter.com/a67EG4uHwR

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) January 13, 2019