Calls for pill testing have escalated in Australia following a string of overdoses at popular music festivals. The latest incident occurred over the weekend at Melbourne’s Hardmission festival, where eight people were hospitalized after suspected MDMA overdoses. Three of those remain in critical condition. Several welfare groups have demanded the introduction of drug-checking services ahead of the forthcoming festival season. The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association has the support of 79 other organizations to implement such a service in line with five Victorian coronial recommendations. It warns that substances behind recent overdoses may still be in circulation.
Critics have claimed drug-checking services would condone illegal drug use, but advocates argue it would save lives. The Australian Lawyers Alliance said young people will experiment with drugs regardless, and urged the government to introduce the service. “Our priority must be to avoid deaths and minimize harm,” said Greg Barns SC, the national body’s criminal justice spokesperson. Victoria is currently investigating a pill-testing trial to be introduced this summer, if passed by parliament.
In a statement, Victoria Police said they were investigating reports of a number of people taken seriously ill at the festival and asked anyone with information to come forward. Organizers of the Hardmission festival have not yet commented on the weekend’s drug-related incidents.
Drug-taking at music festivals is a major concern for authorities. The number of people hospitalized for drug overdoses in NSW peaked at 214 during music festivals last summer. A survey last year found that more than half of young festival-goers were willing to use drug testing services, while another study revealed that 90% of people believe pill testing is necessary to ensure the safety of festival patrons.
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