NSW Government Urged To Launch Pill Testing Trial At Ultra Festival

The NSW Government is being urged to launch a pill testing trial at Ultra Music Festival Australia in Sydney next month, following another suspected drug overdose death at FOMO Festival last weekend. 

Pill Testing Australia, the NSW Users and AIDS Association, which runs the DanceWize NSW program, say they are prepared to run a "pilot pill testing trial" at the dance festival taking place on 24 February. 

"DanceWize NSW has interacted with thousands of young party goers in a short period of time. The views of young people are clear – the moment you tell them ‘don’t take that pill kids’, they switch off," CEO of NSW Health-funded agency NUAA, Mary Ellen Harrod, said.

"They want real-world, practical measures that demonstrate that policy makers put their lives before politics."

Harrod continued, "Pill testing is one measure that will support education and allow young people to pause and consider their options. 

"At the moment, it’s legal to buy reagent testing kits but we don’t allow best practice pill testing, a situation that makes no sense. We know pill testing works from the successful Australian trial and years of overseas experience. There is almost universal agreement that we need to do more to keep young people safe and the Ultra festival is the perfect opportunity launch a trial of this measure in NSW.”

It comes as over 7,000 people are expected to attend Keep Sydney Open's rally this weekend calling for pill testing at festivals.

Yesterday, Victoria's Rainbow Serpent festival issued a YouTube video urging government to "untie the hands of promoters" and introduce pill testing.

"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," festival organiser Tim Harvey said.

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