Call for new drug policy
Experts recommend ‘standard practice’ pill test
AUSTRALIA’S “punitive” approach to drug enforcement is resulting in preventable deaths and must be overhauled to allow for highly regulated pill testing, a Deakin expert claims.
Pill testing must be standard practice at festival, clubs and races if deaths are to be prevented, according to the review published in the Harm Reduction Journal.
But Bellarine MP and police minister Lisa Neville says the State Government has “no plans” to allow for pill testing at Victorian events despite the findings.
School of humanities and social sciences researcher Dr Andrew Groves independently reviewed the nation’s National Drug Strategy to determine if pill testing would be effective in Australia.
He is now calling on the Australian Government and state policy makers to accept growing evidence that hard line drug management approaches are not effective and to instead put pill testing high on the national agenda.
“I am not condoning or advocating the use of drugs. Pill testing doesn’t condone illicit drug use — it reinforces it is dangerous,” Dr Groves said.
“(It shows) there are drugs that are dangerous — they can harm you. Pill testing allows the opportunity for that person to make an informed decision.”
Dr Groves’ study highlights the success of pill testing in other countries including Portugal and The Netherlands. It also examines the varying ways these countries have implemented and legislated pill testing.
“In Portugal, pill testing was implemented alongside comprehensive policy changes that saw drug use as a public health issue rather than criminal issue and included the decriminal- isation of personal possession,” Dr Groves said.
“One of the most notable results of the policy shift was a reduction in problematic drug use and related harms.”
Police condemned the 41 Falls Festival goers who tested positively to drugs when leaving the New Year’s event this year, while a number of people were treated for a stomach bug after allegedly consuming a variety of drugs at the 2017 Meredith Music Festival.
Labor MP Geoff Howard last year announced his support of both pill testing and drug injecting rooms after being convinced police could not solve drug problem alone, but Premier Daniel Andrews has maintained pill testing is a “very irresponsible and potentially dangerous” practice.
Since then, the controversial trial of a North Richmond safe injecting room has been announced, leading Dr Groves to hope this could open the door for a pill testing policy change-of-heart.
His call for policy action comes as questions remain unanswered regarding a pill testing trial slated for Canberra’s Groovin’ the Moo festival later month, with organisers yet to confirm if the trial will be permitted to go ahead.
“There have been a number of (festival) organisers actually pushing for this. They want young people to be safe, but we need to be careful about putting too much responsibility on the organisers,” Dr Groves said.
He said festivals like Meredith should not solely foot the bill for testing, suggesting both attendees and taxpayers should provide financial support.
Ms Neville said the government was working with Victoria Police to look at ways to crackdown on the harms caused by drugs at music festivals.