Adelaide City Council to look at pill testing for city and parklands festivals

Adelaide City Council will examine introducing voluntary pill testing at music events and festivals in the parklands and CBD venues.

Pill testing at the FOMO music festival at Elder Park in January this year.

Adelaide City Council will examine introducing voluntary pill testing at music events and festivals in the parklands and CBD venues.

As it embarks on a review of its safety and strategy policy in the city — which shows crime has declined by 43.6 per cent since 2002 — staff will now look at an option for patrons to test pills for active ingredients.

Councillor Phil Martin made the proposal on Tuesday night, saying the probe could examine ways the council might work with “Parliament and police” to introduce it.

Councillor Phil Martin

“We have the chance to do something positive to stop unnecessary deaths among young people,” he said.

“There’s also a chance through pill testing to have a conversation with people using drugs and give them information to discourage risky behaviour.”

Cr Martin said the probe should examine the workings of a requirement for a pill testing “tolerance zone” on licences for festivals and events, particularly in the parklands.

This could cover events such as Womadelaide, FOMO and even the Fringe.

Cr Robert Simms said it would be a worthy investigation by the council.

“It is really remiss that we don’t do it here in the city of Adelaide,” he said.

“It would save lives.”

Councillor Anne Moran said it was “ridiculous” that pill testing was not in place and the council should look at other cities around the world where it had been successful.

Pill testing has gained support in Australia in recent months, following a spate of drug-related deaths at festivals in NSW.

The Australian Medical Association has thrown its weight behind testing, while the NSW Government has come under fire for ruling out trials. The South Australian Government has consistently said it does not support pill testing.

In February, a proposal by SA Liberal Party vice-president and Kapunda GP Max van Dissel for the State Government to “implement pill-testing at music festivals” was only narrowly defeated at a meeting of the Liberals’ state council.

The Labor Party called for the policy to be investigated by its internal platform committee in October.

Cr Moran, the chair of the committee where Cr Martin made the proposal, said it was “ridiculous” that pill testing wasn’t in place and the council should look at other cities around the world where it had been successful.

The March for Pill Testing held outside Sydney Town Hall Picture: Monique Harmer.

Pill testing has gained support in Australia in recent months, following a spate of drug-related deaths at festivals in NSW.

The Australian Medical Association has thrown its weight behind testing, while the NSW Government has come under fire for ruling out trials.

The South Australian Government has consistently said it does not support pill testing.

But in February a proposal by SA Liberal Party vice-president and Kapunda GP Max van Dissel for the State Government to “implement pill-testing at music festivals” was only narrowly defeated at a meeting of the Liberal’s state council.

Labor also does not support it but a proposal calling for the policy to be investigated by its internal platform committee was passed at its state conference in October.