Dropped drug-testing scheme is a bitter pill
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is absolutely right when talking about illicit drugs being tested for safety purposes at large public events such as music concerts and festivals. His party last week turned party-pooper on the Labour and Green-supported plan, which would have allowed pill testing at events this summer.
“It’s been suggested that we should provide all the mechanisms for people to take a whole lot of pills down there to find whether pill taking is safe or not. We at New Zealand First say it’s not safe, don’t do it. If you want to live, then stick to things that are safe,” he said. “I think it’s better to tell people that drugs and drug experimentation is an awfully risky and dangerous thing to do. Taking pills at festivals is a thoroughly bad idea.”
Who could argue with that? It is a very bad idea. Nonetheless, we know people will keep doing it.
We don’t want people taking these things but, more importantly, we don’t want them to die or suffer life-diminishing consequences if they do.
Four people were admitted to hospital, three of them in critical condition, after reportedly taking MDMA at an Auckland concert called Listen In last Friday night. The psychoactive drug, otherwise known as Ecstasy, results in increased energy, empathy, and pleasure. As it is illegal, there is no guarantee the tablets being passed by hand are a tolerable dose of Ecstasy, or even is MDMA at all.
Four others were also arrested for disorderly behaviour during the Mt Smart Stadium event after climbing on top of the 25m-high marquee. That no one died seems to bear truth to the old saying that the Lord looks after fools and drunks.
Police Minister Stuart Nash had wanted to set up drug-testing safety services at music festivals for young people this summer. His case was given some urgency after a pesticide was discovered in an illegal drug seized by police at the Rhythm and Vines event at Gisborne in January. The same day, a festival-goer in Australia died of a drug overdose.
But NZ First has nixed the scheme, leaving Nash to seek support from the National Party, which looks unlikely after leader Simon Bridges went from cautiously supporting pill testing at the beginning of the year to saying it “sends the wrong message” when asked about it on Saturday.
But what of the message to young people that, by ignoring sound advice and breaking the law, their lives don’t matter?
One of the rationales for legalising recreational cannabis is that it is the only way we can control the potency — let alone the ingredients — of what many people are ingesting. We don’t want people taking these things but, more importantly, we don’t want them to die or suffer life-diminishing consequences if they do. We’re not condoning illegal drug use, and we’re certainly not promoting it. But anything giving our youth a better chance of surviving the rocky ride that can be coming-ofage should be a no-brainer.