State government says pill-testing trial at Beyond the Valley music festival was a success

The state government has deemed Victoria’s first pill-testing trial a success, after testing more than 600 samples at a popular New Year’s music festival outside Geelong.

Drug checking director Sarah Hiley, Harm Reduction Victoria CEO Sione Crawford, Acting Minister for Mental Health Mary-Anne Thomas and Director of Festivals and Major Events at the Untitled Group Pete Sofo at the pill-testing trial facilities at Beyond The Valley. Picture: Alison Wynd

Victoria’s first pill-testing trial – at a New Year’s music festival outside Geelong – was a success, according to the state government after hundreds of samples were tested at the event.

The trial ran across the four-day Beyond the Valley festival at Barunah Plains just west of Geelong.

Acting Minister for Mental Health Mary-Anne Thomas said on Thursday that the drug-checking service spoke to more than 700 people and tested more than 600 samples.

The majority of users were in their late teens or early twenties, with MDMA, ketamine and cocaine the most common drugs presented.

Preliminary data from the service revealed 40 per cent said they would use a smaller amount of drugs in the future.

Senior chemist Jacob Fry, drug-checking director Sarah Hiley and Acting Minister for Mental Health Mary-Anne Thomas at the pill testing trial facilities at Beyond The Valley. Picture: Alison Wynd

Seventy per cent of patrons said it was their first open, judgement-free discussion about drug and alcohol safety with a health professional.

Testing also revealed to some festival-goers that the substance they had was not what they initially thought.

Some reconsidered their choices after finding out more about the relationship between recreational drugs and medication.

One person – who had only recently started taking prescribed antidepressant medication and was considering taking MDMA – was talked through the potential risks and side effects if they chose to do that. As a result of that conversation, they decided not to use the illicit substance.

Ms Thomas said “these preliminary insights have already highlighted that what starts as a simple drug check often evolves into deeper conversations about health and wellbeing – a crucial step in our harm-reduction approach.”

Beyond the Valley music festival. Picture: Alan Barber

Victoria is the third state or territory, after Queensland and the ACT, to trial drug testing at festivals.

Patrons at the festival responded positively to the introduction of pill testing.

On Saturday a man in his 20s was hospitalised after a suspected drug overdose at the event.

Madi Pike, who made the journey to the Barunah Plains site from Adelaide, was volunteering nearby at the time the man became unwell.

She said those who witnessed it felt compelled to utilise the free and anonymous pill-testing.

“Immediately everyone around was like ‘we’re going to get our drugs tested’.”

“It’s unfortunate that it took something like that to happen but a lot of people are alert now … it definitely put perspective on staying safe.”

Over the four-day of the festival, four people were arrested for alleged drug trafficking, with another given a drug diversion.

This included a 18-year-old Lara man and a 27-year-old Rippleside man.

Originally published as State government says pill-testing trial at Beyond the Valley music festival was a success