Yours and Owls Festival first up in NSW pill testing trial

A major initiative to try to “save lives” is set to be rolled out at a popular Australian music festival in just a few weeks.

The first festival to take part in a NSW pill testing trial has been announced following recommendations from the state’s drug summit.

Yours and Owls will become the first festival in the state to take part in the trial, which will allow qualified health staff to test small samples of substances brought in by festivalgoers.

Peer workers, health workers and analysts will be able to test substances for purity, potency and adulterants as part of the free and anonymous service.

The Wollongong festival is just weeks away from welcoming headliners Fontaines D.C, Denzel Curry, The Kooks and the Goo Goo Dolls on March 1 and 2, with co-founder Ben Tillman thrilled with the government’s move.

Yours and Owls will be the first NSW music festival to participate in a pill testing trial. Picture: Danielle Smith / Newswire

He said pill testing was something “we have been fighting for, for some time now”.

“While Yours and Owls maintains a zero-tolerance policy to illegal drugs, we are realists and see the abstinence-only approach as unhelpful,” Mr Tillman said.

“Pill testing is not a panacea. However, it is a proven harm-minimisation strategy that has been successfully implemented in many countries overseas for the past 20 or so years.

“Ultimately, we ask individuals to take responsibility for themselves and their decision-making to ensure they have a great time safely.

“We also encourage anyone who finds themselves or their mates in trouble to seek medical assistance immediately – there will be no judgement, you won’t get into trouble, patrons need to remember their safety and that of their mates is the most important thing.”

The pill testing service will be free and anonymous for festivalgoers. Picture: NewsWire/Joel Carrett

The decision follows recommendations from the state’s drug summit. Picture: NCA Danielle Smith / Newswire

The trial was announced following the state’s drug summit last year, with NSW Premier Chris Minns saying the decision was made to “reduce harm and save lives”.

“I want to stress that this is a trial, and we be guided by the evidence we are presented,” Mr Minns said.

“No parent wants to be given the news that something has happened (to) their child at a music festival, and that they are now in an emergency department or worse.”

Festivalgoers will not be advised a drug is safe to use, and can be referred to health and welfare services by staff where required.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park emphasised there would “always be risks involved when consuming these substances”.

“Let me be clear, no level of illicit drug use is safe and pill testing services do not provide a guarantee of safety,” Mr Park said.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park emphasised ‘no level of illicit drug use is safe’. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

“However, this trial has been designed to provide people with the necessary information to make more informed decisions about drug use, with the goal of reducing drug-related harm and saving lives.

“Illicit drug use remains illegal in NSW. These services will not be made available to suppliers and police will continue to target them.”

The trial is set to run for 12 months, and follows the kick off of Victoria’s pill testing trial last year.

Nearly 40 per cent of Beyond the Valley festivalgoers said they’d use less of their drugs after using the pill testing service.

A mobile pill testing service was tipped to attend 10 festivals across Victoria during an 18 month trial — including Hardmission, Ultra and Pitch Music & Arts Festival — with a fixed-site service also slated to open in mid-2025.

Successful trials were previously rolled out in the ACT and Queensland.

Originally published as Yours and Owls Festival first up in NSW pill testing trial