Pill testing to go ahead on-site at Spilt Milk festival in Canberra
1 year, 4 months ago

Pill testing to go ahead on-site at Spilt Milk festival in Canberra

ABC  

Pill testing will on Saturday be available on-site at an Australian music festival for the first time since 2019. Key points: Pill Testing Australia will provide free, on-site drug testing at Spilt Milk in Canberra Groovin the Moo in Canberra was the first in the country to trial free pill testing in 2018 The confidential service will be available to festival attendees from 11:30am on Saturday Pill Testing Australia confirmed on social media that the free drug-checking service would be available at Canberra's Spilt Milk festival on Saturday. Canberra's Groovin the Moo music festival in 2018 was the first in the country to trial free pill testing, and the event hosted the service again in 2019. The announcement of on-site pill testing at a festival comes a month since the ACT became the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalise personal amounts of some illicit drugs.

Festival Testing Service Canberra Pill Testing Pill Cantest Spilt Milk  pill  spilt  free  drugs  ahead  event  milk  onsite  festival  service  canberra  testing

History of this topic

Pill-testing trial at Wollongong's Yours and Owls Festival 'really positive'
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Pill-testing trial at Wollongong's Yours and Owls Festival 'really positive'

ABC  

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park says a pill-testing trial at a weekend music festival at Wollongong was "really positive". If you need help: National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015 — 24/7 info, counselling and referrals 1800 250 015 — 24/7 info, counselling and referrals Family Drug Support: 1300 368 186 — 24/7 support for families, friends and …

First government-led pill testing trial begins at Yours and Owls Festival
3 weeks, 3 days ago

First government-led pill testing trial begins at Yours and Owls Festival

ABC  

Nearly 30,000 people attending a beachside music festival in the New South Wales Illawarra region this weekend will have access to Australia's first government-led pill testing trial. Sniffer dogs still used State Health Minister and local MP Ryan Park called this weekend's pill testing trial "historic" but stressed that illicit drugs remained illegal in NSW. Jennie Ross-King has been an …

Pill-testing trial to be hosted by Yours and Owls in Wollongong in NSW first
1 month ago

Pill-testing trial to be hosted by Yours and Owls in Wollongong in NSW first

ABC  

Australia's first government-run pill-testing trial will be held at Wollongong's Yours and Owls festival on the first weekend in March. Welcome to Australia's first drug testing site Photo shows A hand in a blue glove points to a white powder sitting on large white machine that tests drugs for the containing compounds. Though the pill testing area is under amnesty, …

Pill testing to be introduced at Victorian music festivals where overdoses occurred
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Pill testing to be introduced at Victorian music festivals where overdoses occurred

ABC  

The Victorian government has announced four more festivals that will host a pill-testing trial, including two events marred by drug overdose incidents in 2024. It comes after a pill-testing trial was launched at the Beyond the Valley music festival earlier this month, a trial the government said was "highly successful". "The results from Beyond the Valley speak for themselves: pill …

What did Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service CanTEST find in its first two years?
7 months ago

What did Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service CanTEST find in its first two years?

ABC  

Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service found meth in a counterfeit diet pill and a synthetic opioid thought to be 25 times stronger than fentanyl in its first two years of operation. Mean drug purity First year Second year Cocaine 23% 76% Heroin 44% 72% Ketamine 68% 79% MDMA 58% 69% Meth 72% 77% "The data shows noteworthy changes in …

Queensland government to roll out pill testing at Gold Coast Schoolies celebrations
8 months ago

Queensland government to roll out pill testing at Gold Coast Schoolies celebrations

ABC  

Pill testing will be available at Schoolies on the Gold Coast this year, however the Queensland LNP has vowed to scrap the scheme if it wins government in October. Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has announced that a pill testing service will be rolled out in Surfers Paradise, near the entertainment precinct, under a Labor government. "Schoolies.com supports the confidential and …

Menzies study finds NT music festival attendees support drug testing on site
10 months, 1 week ago

Menzies study finds NT music festival attendees support drug testing on site

ABC  

In short: A study from Menzies has found strong support from NT festival goers for drug checking, which researchers say suggests a need for on-site checking services. 'It's not enough to tell people not to use drugs' A string of drug overdoses at music festivals at the beginning of this year has reignited debate about pill testing. Australian Medical Association …

Rabbits Eat Lettuce is the first multi-day festival in Australia to have pill testing. How will it work?
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Rabbits Eat Lettuce is the first multi-day festival in Australia to have pill testing. How will it work?

ABC  

Five thousand partygoers will have the opportunity to get their illicit drugs tested for purity at the iconic "bush doof" Rabbits Eat Lettuce Festival that begins on Thursday on Queensland's Southern Downs. Real-time data can save lives Festival organiser Eric Lamir says pill testing is a "no-brainer" to offer at music festivals. Queensland Police Service has made it clear there …

Canberra chemists identify three new recreational drugs after mystery substances turn up at Australia's only fixed pill-testing site
1 year, 2 months ago

Canberra chemists identify three new recreational drugs after mystery substances turn up at Australia's only fixed pill-testing site

ABC  

Three mysterious recreational drugs have surfaced for the first time in Australia with chemists describing them as "unexpected, new psychoactive substances". Key points: Chemists expose three previously unknown recreational drugs after CanTEST clients put forward mystery substances The drugs were wholly different to what the user had believed Pill-testing advocates say the service is showing its value in detecting substances …

What did Australia's first drug-checking site CanTEST find in its inaugural year?
1 year, 8 months ago

What did Australia's first drug-checking site CanTEST find in its inaugural year?

ABC  

From pink cocaine and dangerous opioids to a never-before-seen drug dubbed CanKet, Australia's first fixed-site drug-checking service has made history-making discoveries in 12 months. CanTEST providing 'critical information' The final report on CanTEST's performance during that time, conducted by university researchers, found the centre was "associated with behaviour change such as discarding, non-use and harm reduction behaviours with use". "Half …

ACT extends confidential pill-testing service CanTEST as evaluation shows most users discard tainted drugs
2 years, 2 months ago

ACT extends confidential pill-testing service CanTEST as evaluation shows most users discard tainted drugs

ABC  

Canberra's confidential pill-testing service, which allows people to check what substances are in the illicit drugs they buy, has been extended. Key points: The trial will be extended until at least August About 21 per cent of drugs checked have not been what users expected An evaluation has found the service is encouraging drug users to be safer The free …

What's in the drugs that are being tested at Australia's first fixed-site pill testing clinic in the ACT?
2 years, 3 months ago

What's in the drugs that are being tested at Australia's first fixed-site pill testing clinic in the ACT?

ABC  

From workout supplements in cocaine to children's cough medicine in MDMA — Australia's first fixed-site pill testing clinic has found some unusual ingredients in drugs. Key points: Five hundred samples have been collected by CanTEST since it opened in July this year The latest results have revealed some drugs contain children's cough medicine, pre-work out supplements and pesticide The six-month …

Demand so high for Canberra's pill-testing service that 27 people were turned away ahead of Spilt Milk music festival
2 years, 3 months ago

Demand so high for Canberra's pill-testing service that 27 people were turned away ahead of Spilt Milk music festival

ABC  

Billie* wasn't sure about the contents or purity of the MDMA she purchased so she decided to see exactly what was in it. "I think it's really important for people to be able to test what they've got because, obviously, pills aren't regulated, so you have no idea what you're getting," she said. "I think it's a highly politicised issue …

Pill testing at festivals, decriminalisation among key ice inquiry findings
5 years ago

Pill testing at festivals, decriminalisation among key ice inquiry findings

ABC  

The NSW Government has rejected major recommendations from its own inquiry into the drug ice, including pill testing and more supervised injecting rooms. Key points: The 1200-page report said Australia has the highest rate of amphetamine-related deaths Key recommendations included limiting strip searches, ceasing dog detections and decriminalisation NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard rejected five recommendations but will consider the …

NSW Government told to introduce pill testing, scrap sniffer dogs at festivals
5 years, 4 months ago

NSW Government told to introduce pill testing, scrap sniffer dogs at festivals

ABC  

A coroner has recommended pill testing be conducted in NSW, along with the decriminalisation of personal drug use and the scrapping of sniffer dogs at music festivals. Key points: Deputy NSW coroner Harriet Grahame recommended several major law changes The Berejiklian Government has consistently stated pill testing sends the "wrong message" The mother of a teenager who died from a …

Take a look inside Groovin the Moo's pill-testing facility
5 years, 10 months ago

Take a look inside Groovin the Moo's pill-testing facility

ABC  

Australia's second-ever legal pill-testing trial will get underway on Sunday at Canberra's Groovin the Moo music festival, as representatives from other states and territories examine the facility for consideration in their own jurisdictions. Key points: Representatives from other states and territories visited the facility Representatives from other states and territories visited the facility Sunday's trial will be twice as large …

Pill testing trial for Groovin the Moo given go-ahead after spate of festival deaths
6 years, 1 month ago

Pill testing trial for Groovin the Moo given go-ahead after spate of festival deaths

ABC  

Festival-goers will again be able to get their illicit drugs checked for dangerous substances at this year's Groovin the Moo music festival in Canberra, after the ACT Government signed off on a trial being held inside the festival gates. Key points: Health ministers invited to watch pill testing trial Groovin the Moo Canberra will host trial for the second time …

Groovin The Moo gets green light to host Australia's second-ever pill testing trial
6 years, 1 month ago

Groovin The Moo gets green light to host Australia's second-ever pill testing trial

ABC  

Pill testing will once again go ahead at this year's Groovin The Moo festival in Canberra. Heading to a new site at Exhibition Park in Canberra, aka EPiC, at the end of April, Groovin the Moo will host Australia's second-ever pill testing trial after the ACT Government has again given the green light to the regional touring festival. Pill testing …

Pill testing could be held outside Spilt Milk festival, ACT Government says
6 years, 6 months ago

Pill testing could be held outside Spilt Milk festival, ACT Government says

ABC  

The ACT Government could consider setting up pill testing outside the bounds of the Spilt Milk festival, after it was denied permission to provide the service on Commonwealth land, Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury has said. Key points: NCA denies pill testing on Commonwealth land ACT Government could consider offering service outside Senator Zed Seselja says drugs "never safe" Canberra hosted …

What went down with pill-testing at this weekend’s Groovin the Moo
6 years, 10 months ago

What went down with pill-testing at this weekend’s Groovin the Moo

ABC  

Doors opened for Canberra’s Groovin the Moo at 10.30am, and within an hour, the first festival-goer had their pills tested. “More people came to use the consultation service, to chat to people about how they use drugs and what they’re doing, than had their pills tested,” he said. “We really had no idea what the uptake would be like before …

Groovin the Moo Canberra pill testing trial attacked by ACT Opposition, Chief Minister uninterested
6 years, 10 months ago

Groovin the Moo Canberra pill testing trial attacked by ACT Opposition, Chief Minister uninterested

ABC  

The decision to allow an Australian-first pill testing trial in Canberra this weekend has drawn scorn from the ACT Opposition, but the Chief Minister says he is not particularly interested in the pioneering move his Government announced. Police won't target pill testing area Health Minister Meeghan Fitzharris dismissed Mr Hanson's concerns the trial would encourage drug use. With the latest …

Canberra music festival will test drugs in an Australian first
6 years, 10 months ago

Canberra music festival will test drugs in an Australian first

Daily Mail  

A Canberra music festival will be the first to trial pill-testing in Australia after negotiations with the ACT government. Negotiations with the ACT government, police and health officials have of approved festival promoters to run drug tests with the Safety Testing Advisory Service at Festivals and Events. Pill testing will be trialled for the first time in Australia at Canberra's …

Young Australians Want Pill Testing At Music Fests And Would Heed The Results
7 years, 2 months ago

Young Australians Want Pill Testing At Music Fests And Would Heed The Results

Huff Post  

Jamesmcq24 via Getty Images The push to legalize drug checking at music festivals in Australia is gathering momentum, with a new study reporting nearly 90 percent of participants said they would use such a service, if it were available, before taking illicit drugs. In a study of 642 people from Western Sydney University, conducted at a major Australian music festival …

Canberra's Spilt Milk festival sees pill testers improvise to get drug kits to punters
7 years, 3 months ago

Canberra's Spilt Milk festival sees pill testers improvise to get drug kits to punters

ABC  

Revellers at Canberra's Spilt Milk festival have turned to do-it-yourself pill testing kits, after an effort to have an official testing site was derailed. "In the few days gone by, I've been very busy out delivering kits around Canberra, leaving them in people's letterboxes," he said. With the latest spate of overdoses in Queensland, attention has inevitably turned again to …

Canberra's Spilt Milk festival sees pill testers improvise to get drug kits to punters
7 years, 4 months ago

Canberra's Spilt Milk festival sees pill testers improvise to get drug kits to punters

ABC  

Revellers at Canberra's Spilt Milk festival have turned to do-it-yourself pill testing kits, after an effort to have an official testing site was derailed. "In the few days gone by, I've been very busy out delivering kits around Canberra, leaving them in people's letterboxes," he said. With the latest spate of overdoses in Queensland, attention has inevitably turned again to …

Spilt Milk pulls out of Australia's first pill testing trial
7 years, 5 months ago

Spilt Milk pulls out of Australia's first pill testing trial

ABC  

The first trial of pill testing at an Australian music festival will no longer go ahead after Spilt Milk organisers pulled out with six weeks to go. Asked why he had announced pill testing if he couldn't get it sorted in time, Ryan said the initial announcement had come from the ACT Government. We still support pill testing: ACT Gov …

Pill testing on-site at Spilt Milk festival under consideration by ACT Government
7 years, 9 months ago

Pill testing on-site at Spilt Milk festival under consideration by ACT Government

ABC  

In a groundbreaking move, the ACT Government is in talks about legally providing drug testing at a major Canberra music festival, according to the Ted Noffs Foundation. We've now heard that the ACT Government and the Chief Minister himself are looking at pill testing for the end of this year at Spilt Milk," the Foundation's chief executive Matt Noffs said. …

Pill testing on-site at Spilt Milk festival under consideration by ACT Government
7 years, 9 months ago

Pill testing on-site at Spilt Milk festival under consideration by ACT Government

ABC  

In a groundbreaking move, the ACT Government is in talks about legally providing drug testing at a major Canberra music festival, according to the Ted Noffs Foundation. We've now heard that the ACT Government and the Chief Minister himself are looking at pill testing for the end of this year at Spilt Milk," the Foundation's chief executive Matt Noffs said. …

Pill testing at music festivals needed after rave overdose, doctors say
8 years, 2 months ago

Pill testing at music festivals needed after rave overdose, doctors say

ABC  

Drug experts have renewed calls for pill-testing facilities at music festivals after the death of a man from an unknown substance at a New Year's Eve rave in southern Queensland. However, emergency physician doctor David Caldicot said pill testing at music festivals in parts of Europe had seen fewer people use and mix drugs. University of Queensland Alcohol and Drug …

Pill testing at music festivals needed after rave overdose, doctors say
8 years, 2 months ago

Pill testing at music festivals needed after rave overdose, doctors say

ABC  

Drug experts have renewed calls for pill-testing facilities at music festivals after the death of a man from an unknown substance at a New Year's Eve rave in southern Queensland. However, emergency physician doctor David Caldicot said pill testing at music festivals in parts of Europe had seen fewer people use and mix drugs. "It is good practice to suggest …

Discover Related