Pill Testing Australia will offer free pilot program to any jurisdiction that takes up its offer

The doctor who led Australia’s first state-backed pill testing trial says his organisation will offer the Adelaide City Council a free trial if it pursues the issue.

Dr David Caldicott says his organisation, Pill Testing Australia, will offer a free pilot program to any jurisdiction that takes up the offer.

The doctor who led Australia’s first government-backed pill testing trial says his organisation will offer the Adelaide City Council a free trial if it pursues the concept.

Dr David Caldicott says his organisation, Pill Testing Australia, will offer a free pilot program to any jurisdiction that takes up the offer.

Dr Caldicott, who started pill testing at the Enchanted Forest rave parties in South Australia more than 10 years ago and led Australia’s first official trial at the Groovin the Moo music festival in Canberra last year, said it could only be done in conjunction with local law authorities.

The State Government has reiterated its position that it would not support testing pills at events and festivals in the city and parklands.

“It (opposition to pill testing) is not supported by the evidence,” Dr Caldicott, pictured, told The Advertiser.

Premier Steven Marshall says the State Government does not support pill testing.

“It’s a politics argument which I understand, but people need to be quite careful opposing it if they don’t provide good reason to do so because a lot of the people who want it are of voting age.

“The criteria for Pill Testing Australia would be that it would have to be in conjunction with local law enforcement, we wouldn’t be underground.”

His offer came after Adelaide City Council staff said they would examine whether pill testing for events in the city and the parklands could be introduced as part of an upcoming review of the council’s city safety policy.

Cr Phil Martin asked staff at council’s committee meeting on Tuesday if they would examine the possibility.

Other elected members were uncomfortable about the idea. Cr Jessy Khera said the council “should be wary of the moral hazard in encouraging a culture of buying deadly pills made by bikies and drug lords”.

Any council push would be reliant on an appetite from the State Government or South Australia Police to implement the concept.

Premier Steven Marshall, Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens have all said they would not back any push.

Mr Marshall said it would send the message to people that drugs are safe.

“We don’t support it, we don’t see any evidence that it would save lives,” he said.

Mr Stevens said pill testing did not provide sufficient safety to people taking illicit substances.

“These are illegal drugs produced by criminals in back yard laboratories and the pill testing process is not conclusive,” he said.

“Nor do we know the physiological condition of a person taking that tablet and we know even pure MDMA can result in a deadly overdose, so it’s not simply just about confirming MDMA or some other substance.”

Labor also remains opposed to pill testing. Greens MLC Tammy Franks said her party would continue to push for the State Government “to be open to research and evidence” on the issue. SA Best’s Frank Pangallo said he did not support pill testing, while fellow MLC Connie Bonaros said there were “so many unknowns”.