NSW Labor rejects renewed calls for pill testing after festival deaths
The New South Wales government has again dismissed calls for a pill-testing trial following the deaths of two young men who attended a music festival in Sydney over the weekend.
The debate about on-site drug analysis comes amid concerns over the impact of extreme heat on festivalgoers this summer.
The NSW health minister, Ryan Park, said on Monday that pill testing was not a “silver bullet” that would prevent deaths – despite calls from drug reform advocates including the mother of a teenager who died from an overdose in 2019.
Authorities are yet to determine whether the deaths of the men, aged 21 and 26, following the Knockout Outdoor festival on Saturday were related to drugs. Police were waiting on the results of autopsies.
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Jen Ross-King on Monday made an impassioned plea to the state government to introduce pill testing. Her 19-year-old daughter, Alex Ross-King, died from an MDMA overdose at Fomo festival in 2019.
“They need to commence harm reduction strategies within music festival environments this summer. Now. Not wait for a drug summit,” she told reporters.
“If they do to a drug summit, fantastic. Go with some of your own evidence from a trial of pill testing in NSW.”
Ross-King said she felt “so sorry” for the parents of the young men who died and called on the government to “listen to the experts”.
Her message was echoed by advocates who said more needed to be done.
Many are concerned the upcoming festival season will be hotter than usual due to El Niño, which could increase the risk of harm when taking drugs.
The Australian Festival Association managing director, Mitch Wilson, supports pill testing and said the industry had been raising its concerns about the hot summer for months.
“With any warmer weather, the risks from taking drugs increase and festival organisers do all they can to implement strategies to reduce harm at their events,” he said.
The director of campaigns at Unharm, Sam Kidd, said a drug-checking pilot could be launched quickly if it was backed by the government.
“There are festivals who are extremely keen and willing to have drug checking at their festivals,” he said.
A drug-checking facility would also allow partygoers to hear from health experts about harm-minimisation strategies when taking MDMA on particularly hot days, including taking less, taking breaks and drinking a lot more water, Kidd said.
“The combination of a hot summer and potent pills like ‘Pink Guccis’ being detected in the drug market increases the risk of overdoses this festival season.”
Speaking in Wollongong on Monday, Park confirmed pill testing would be discussed at a drug summit but could not provide a date for the forum. Labor promised before the March election to hold a drug summit within its first term.
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“What I don’t want people to believe is that one thing, pill testing, for example, is going to be a silver bullet that will prevent overdoses, that will prevent deaths,” Park said.
“My message to those families is that I can’t begin to take away their pain. I can express on behalf of the government my deepest sorrow, my deepest and most deepest condolences and I can also express that we will continue to look at ways every day to make our festivals as safe as possible.”
Greens MP Cate Faerhmann expressed frustration at the lack of action.
“It’s going to be a very hot summer and it’s going to be a very dangerous summer unless Chris Minns acts,” she said.
Last week the NSW Poisons Information Centre medical director, Dr Darren Roberts, warmed that hot environments could increase the risk of harm when taking MDMA.
A NSW coroner in late 2019 recommended the state introduce pill testing. Harriet Grahame found “there was significant evidence” that “intensive and punitive drug policing operations” were increasing drug-related risks and harm.
Queensland announced in January it would introduce pill testing at mobile and fixed sites following the success of trials in Canberra.
