With an abundance of music festivals in Tas, is now the time to roll out pill testing?

Tasmanians mostly support pill and drug testing, evidence shows it can saves lives but here’s how likely it’ll happen.

Friday session at Party in the Paddock. Picture: Party in the Paddock

Despite advocacy from general practitioners, the Tasmanian government will not pilot drug testing in the state.

A government spokesperson said the Tasmanian Government’s position remains the same.

“We do not support pill testing in Tasmania,” they said.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Tasmania chair Dr Toby Gardner said pill testing would be potentially saving lives.

“The college has been supportive of anything that reduces harm,” he said.

“It’s long overdue, it needs to be done.”

Friday vibing at Party in the Paddock 2024. Picture: Party in the Paddock

Tasmania has become a growing spot for music festivals including Party in the Paddock in the North held in February, A Festival Called Panama is held in March at Lone Star Valley and there is also the return of the world renown arts festival Dark Mofo in June.

Earlier this year was the Good Gumnuts festival on the northwest coast with thousands of attendees.

Despite pill testing now in ACT, Queensland and a trial started in Victoria with Beyond the Valley festival in December, testing 700 pills, the Tasmanian government will not budge on its position.

Calls for pill-testing in Tasmania were made following the death of a man at Panama Festival in 2023 to no avail.

According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, in February 2024, a poll of Tasmanian voters indicated 65 per cent supported drug checking.

Pill testing assets what is in the pills people have purchased and gives them unbiased facts so they are informed of their decision.

Dr Gardner said testing would show if a pill had household substances or solvents in or was actually a different, more harmful chemical.

“If there were people to explain or break that down, it might mean that person would forgo taking that substance,” he said.

Dark Mofo.

It could also prevent accidental overdoses.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Council Tasmania reported around 16 per cent of Tasmanians use illicit substances.

Dr Gardner said there is evidence pill testing reduces harm and should be rolled out nationally.

“We know that people are going to take illicit substances at these events, and we know that Tassie has a number of music events over the summer,” he said.

“Though we don’t condone the use of any of it, anything we can do to minimise the harm from these substances is a win.”

The government spokesperson said festival goers are kept safe through the use of drug detection dogs, emergency response and traffic management.

“Tasmania Police works closely with organisers and allocates resources to ensure their safety and security,” they said.

Labor minister Rebecca White said Labor doesn’t have plans to bring legislation on pill testing to the parliament.