State Coroner To Recommend NSW Festivals Should Adopt Pill Testing - What's The Next Step?

A leading advocate for pill testing in Australia says the government must be allowed "to move" on implementing the initiative at festivals across New South Wales following reports that State Coroner Harriet Grahame is expected to recommend its implementation next month. 

According to The Daily Telegraph, a draft report into the inquest of six drug-related deaths at music festivals from Grahame, to be released on 8 November, is expected to recommend pill testing be introduced at events across the state. 

Speaking to The Music today, CEO of Ted Noffs Foundation, Matt Noffs, welcomed the news but said advocates must be delicate moving forward on the continued push for pill testing. 

"I think it signals that the evidence is there as we've been saying for years," he said.

"It's really important that, while it'd be easier to turn and point the finger at the Premier and say 'We told you so', I don't think that'd be wise. 

"The job of advocates like myself and others is to make sure we continue the pressure, but to do it in a way that allows the government to move."

Noffs said that if pill testing is to be rolled out across the state, it needs to adopt the same approach as two trials conducted at Groovin The Moo festival in Canberra, the latest coming this past April which saw encouraging results, rather than introducing it along with increased police presence. 

"[Pill testing] should be about young people getting access to that information first and foremost," Noffs said.

"I support police being at festivals. I support them there in a transformed role where they're there to help young people when they get into trouble. Not to strip search them, not to arrest them. I don't support that.

"Any dilution of pill testing any way that hands more power to police, then I really think we're going to get into trouble."

While he doesn't expect pill testing to be introduced in time for the end of year festival season, Noffs says actions such as emergency response tents should be introduced now. 

"Everything that we can be doing to mitigate further deaths we should be doing... [the government] don't need to wait for pill testing to do that."