News that the Minns Government is going to trial pill testing at up to a dozen music festivals this summer is welcome, but trials must be in place for the festival blitz that commences on Boxing Day, says Greens MP and drug harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.

Further, continuing to have an over-the-top police presence with sniffer dogs and strip-searching tents is an irresponsible use of taxpayers' money when music festivals have pill-testing facilities.

“The Health Minister says that the trial could be up and running by ‘early February’. This is too late because most of the music festivals taking place this summer will go ahead without pill testing services,” said Cate Faehrmann.

“With festivals like Lost Paradise, Field Day, and Spaced Out in Byron Bay taking place in late December and early January, along with New Year's Eve and the holidays, most of the larger summer festivals will have concluded by early February.

“The Government was warned about the increasing risk of highly dangerous synthetic opioids being found in common street drugs like cocaine and MDMA at the start of the year. They also knew that allowing drug-checking services, including at music festivals, would be a key recommendation arising from the drug summit. 

“The Health Minister has received proposals by experienced pill testing services who are ready to set up with qualified health professionals within days. They’re operating in other states so it’s not that hard to get their services in NSW at the time when they’re needed the most. 

“Where drug checking services are provided in the ACT, Qld, and Victoria, they’re also being located at services in the community such as alcohol and other drug clinics. The Minns Government needs to expand drug-checking services beyond the music festival gate, given that the vast majority of illicit drug use is happening outside music festivals.

“The Coronial Inquest into Drug Deaths at Music Festivals also recommended other harm reduction measures which the Government has been refusing to do. The Coroner found that the presence of police with sniffer dogs caused the death of Alex Ross-King who panicked and took all of her pills at once. 

“To make music festivals even safer, the Minns Government must match this trial with ditching the dogs and strip searches at music festivals.

“Both the Coroner and the Ice Inquiry Commissioner strongly recommended to the Government that drugs be treated as a health issue, not a criminal one. I join with them, and countless other experts, to once again call on the NSW Government to remove criminal penalties for drug use,” said Ms Faehrmann.