Pill-testing goes on trial at NSW music festival for the first time

The pill testing is being run by NSW Health professionals at a clinic on festival grounds, with a legally protected amnesty area.

“This is an important day and a historic day,” NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said of the trial.

“It’s a discreet entrance as well, so there’s certain measures in place so they don’t feel like they’re going to be judged or there’s police waiting out the door when they exit,” Festival organiser Ben Tillman said.

Inside, pills and powders are photographed, and a small sample is analysed.

If potentially deadly chemicals are found an alert is sent out to festival-goers.

“We have actually done this at a previous festival, we can broadcast, closed down and got everyone to stop dancing and get the message out,” NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.

Patrons bringing pills in will have to illegally smuggle their drugs past police to use the testing facility.

Sniffer dogs were out in force at the festivals gates today.

“I understand the inherent contradiction this policy and its implementation has,” Park said.

“I’m well aware of it. We understand drugs are still illegal in NSW, the police are here to enforce that, they do have an operation.”

The campaign for pill testing has been pushed for here in parliament for the past decade in that time at least 10 young people have died from drug overdoses at festivals, and their families want change.

The trial will go for 12 months.

The festival is running today and tomorrow.