Government remains firm against pill testing trials at Tasmanian music festivals

Calls for pill testing trials have been rejected by the Government, with a senior minister instead offering an alternative solution to stopping illegal drug use.

THE State Government will not support a trial of pill testing at Tasmanian music festivals but will instead tell people that drugs are bad and should be thrown in the bin.

The Legislative Council on Tuesday night passed a motion calling for the Hodgman Government to consider a trial of pill testing at local music events this summer.

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Pill testing analyses the contents of illicit drugs to advise users of potentially dangerous substances and provides advice and counselling based on the results.

Facilities have been in place in 20 countries since the 1990s.

A New South Wales coroner inquiring into the drug-related deaths of six young people recommended a trial of pill testing in that state as a proven harm reduction strategy.

Research has shown that pill testing reduces the amount and variety of drugs people take and offers an opportunity for early intervention to provide health counselling.

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But Science and Technology Minister Michael Ferguson said the Government would stick with prohibition and education.

“Let’s call it for what it is: pill testing is a nice way of saying it’s illegal drugs being tested,” he said.

“We’re not convinced at all, we see significant risk around it and I think that the uncertainty around that risk causes the Government to be extremely careful here.

“We’ll be looking to work with events organisers so that we can introduce more education and support counselling opportunities to encourage people young and old to make the decision to throw anything that’s illegal in the bin.”

Science and Technology Minister Michael Ferguson has rejected calls for pill testing at Tasmanian music festivals, saying people should instead just throw their drugs n the bin. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Mr Ferguson said he thought pill testing sent the wrong message.

“Unfortunately, I think that there’s a lot of people that are hearing about this euphemism of pill testing may save lives,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the case has not been made, in fact, the opposite may be true, it may cost more lives.

“So what we need to do as a Government is work with the community, the drug and alcohol prevention sector, and festival organisers to ensure that we do place those primary health interventions wherever they are needed, including at music festivals, particularly around letting people know about the potential risk and danger of taking an illegal substance.”

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Labor’s health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said the Government’s approach hasn’t worked in the past, so wasn’t likely to work in the future.

“We know that the so-called war on drugs or just saying no doesn’t work, there is extensive evidence to show that those types of campaigns do not work,” she said.

“Just telling people to throw their drugs in the bin, with nothing else around that, is not ever going to work.”