Groovin the Moo festival in Canberra is providing pill testing for festival-goers in what is juPill testing facilities at Groovin the Moo 2019 festival, EPIC Showground, April 27, 2019, Canberra. Festival goers can get their illicit drugs tested here.About 35 volunteers and an independent evaluation team from the Australian National University will be on-site checking drugs for deadly substances.
"Two broad findings were that the market is not really what it's marketed as. There are dangerous drugs out there and much of what is being sold is not what people want to purchase. The other principal finding is that young people are prepared to listen and change their behaviour when information is provided to them by people they trust."Dr Caldicott said anyone who brings pills to be tested are always advised against taking illicit drugs, no matter what the findings of the tests.
Searches are conducted before entry to the festival, but officers have agreed not to target the pill testing area. The entrance is reportedly shared with a health tent so no-one from the outside would be able to tell which area the festival-goers are using.
As much as I'm in favour of pill testing, it cannot be presented as a magic bullet. People will still die. As often? Hopefully not; but it's not a catch-all. For a start, many simply won't use the service. There will always be a risk to taking drugs.