Tassie chokes on pill testing

THE State Government will not support a trial of pill testing at Tasmanian music festivals but will instead tell people that drugs are bad and should be thrown in the bin.

The Legislative Council on Tuesday night passed a motion calling for the Government to consider a trial of pill testing at local music events this summer.

Pill testing analyses the contents of illicit drugs to advise users of potentially dangerous substances and provides advice and counselling based on the results.

Facilities have been in place in 20 countries since the 1990s.

A NSW coroner inquiring into the drug-related deaths of six young people recommended a trial of pill testing in that state as a proven harm reduction strategy.

Research has shown that pill testing reduces the amount and variety of drugs people take and offers an opportunity for early intervention to provide health counselling.

But Science and Technology Minister Michael Ferguson said the Government would stick with prohibition and education.

“Let’s call it for what it is: pill testing is a nice way of saying it’s illegal drugs being tested,” he said.

“We’re not convinced at all.

“We see significant risk around it and I think that the uncertainty around that risk causes the Government to be extremely careful here.

“We’ll be looking to work with events organisers so that we can introduce more education and support counselling opportunities to encourage people young and old to make the decision to throw anything that’s illegal in the bin.”

Mr Ferguson said he thought pill testing sent the wrong message to festivalgoers.

“Unfortunately, I think that there’s a lot of people that are hearing about this euphemism of pill testing more save lives,” he said. “Unfortunately, the case has not been made.

“In fact, the opposite may be true, it may cost more lives.

“So what we need to do as a government is work with the community, the drug and alcohol prevention sector and festival organisers, to ensure that we place those primary health interventions wherever they are needed, including at music festivals, particularly around letting people know about the potential risk and danger of taking an illegal substance.”

Labor’s health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said the Government’s approach had not worked in the past and was unlikely to work in the future.

“Those types of campaigns do not work,” she said.