n the the last year, a surge in preventable drug-related deaths at music festivals has seen commentators all over Australia emerge to argue about the concept of pill testing.

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Plenty are in favour of the idea, whilst some, despite years of proven experimentation and research, argue against.

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Despite this divide, the green light was given for a pill testing trial to go ahead at Canberra’s Groovin The Moo festival last week on April 28th - the second to ever take place in Australia.

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In this article we’ll break down the results of 2019’s trial, and share our own thoughts about the importance of pill testing in Australia - Enjoy.

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Results - A Clean Success

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Over the course of the day the pill testing facilities at GTM were used by 230 patrons, with 171 substances tested in total.

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Of those tested, seven contained the potentially lethal drug n-ethylpentylone - a substitute for speed - and all but one patron dumped their dangerous pills on the spot.

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These results show that demand for pill testing services among festival-goers has more than doubled since last year, with 171 substances being tested in 2019 compared to 85 in 2018.

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Stop F**king Around

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Pill testings single purpose is to ensure people don’t get hurt or killed when taking drugs, but despite it’s progress through Australia is constantly halted.

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One trial a year isn’t nearly enough to show that pill testing is being taken seriously, and it’s time for people to realise that this is the best step to keep festival-goers safe.

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Six people at GTM chose to throw away their potentially dangerous drugs - that’s six potential lives that could have been lost, all prevented.

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Yet here we stand, with some of our most influential government officials openly claiming that there’s no evidence to support pill testing. Truly inspirational.

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Start Saving Lives

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Since September 2018, five people have lost their lives due to drug-related incidents at Australian music festivals. The eldest was 23 years old. The youngest was only 19. All of them were avid music fans with loving friends and families. One had even just gotten engaged.

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These aren’t just any lives being put at risk - these are the lives of teenagers and young adults, people with their entire futures still ahead of them.

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The reality is simple. Adolescents are going to do drugs, as does 16% of the Australian population - and telling them not to because they’re “bad,” or “illegal,” is never going to achieve anything.

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It's time to take proper measures to ensure the safety of festival goers, or this tally of lives lost won't stop rising any time soon.

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If this is all you’ve got to say about pill testing, just don’t bother saying it at all.

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Despite being years behind much of the world when it comes to the acceptance of drug safety initiatives, the fact that we’ve been allowed a trial at all is a step in the right direction.

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Pill testing can, does, and will save lives - anyone determined to stand in the way of something designed to keep people alive plays as much a part in their deaths as the dealer they bought off.

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Whatever you get up to, please look after yourselves. I’m sure we’d all like to get through this years festival season without any unnecessary deaths

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