New South Wales will spend $4.3 million extending drug checking at selected music festivals from October, after an independent review linked the trial with fewer urgent drug-related hospital presentations and intensive care admissions.
The Minns Government plans to provide the service at up to 15 festivals each year, with events chosen according to factors including their size, location and the potential risk of drug-related harm.
The 12-month trial, delivered by NSW Health with the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA), concluded in February after operating at 12 festivals across the state.
Parliamentary figures show 1,846 people accessed the service and 1,480 drug samples were tested. The most common substances presented were believed by users to be MDMA, ketamine and cocaine.
In 86 per cent of cases, testing found only the substance people expected. About 5 per cent contained the expected drug alongside another substance, while fewer than 3 per cent contained only an unexpected substance.
The free and anonymous service allows festival-goers to provide a small sample for analysis by NSW Health Pathology’s Forensic and Analytical Science Service. NUAA peer workers then discuss the result, explain possible risks and offer harm-reduction advice.
The testing does not certify that a substance is safe to consume. NSW Health says the equipment can identify the main components of many drugs and indicate potency where possible, but very small quantities of some dangerous substances may not be detected.
Amnesty bins will be available at the checking sites for people who decide to surrender their drugs. Illicit substances remain illegal and the programme is not intended to endorse their use.
Drug checking service linked to behaviour change
The evaluation found the scheme reached people who had not previously used health or harm-reduction services, creating an opportunity for staff to speak with them before they took drugs.
It also found evidence of behaviour change when test results differed from what users had expected, including decisions not to take the substance.
Health Minister Ryan Park said the initiative was a practical measure aimed at reducing risk.
“Let me be clear, no level of illicit drug use is safe and drug checking services are not a silver bullet,” Mr Park said.
“There will always be risks involved when consuming these substances, and this initiative does not endorse drug use.
“Drug checking at music festivals can reduce harms associated with drug use, and it ultimately saves lives.”
NSW Police says officers will be informed of the location of drug checking sites and will not target, monitor or routinely attend them, although police may respond to crimes or incidents affecting public safety nearby.
Jennie Ross-King, whose daughter Alex died after taking drugs at a music festival, said the decision followed years of campaigning by families affected by festival-related deaths.
“Young people take risks, that is the reality of life, but they do not deserve to die because of one decision,” she said.
“This will go a long way towards giving young people the information they need to make safer choices and, ultimately, ensuring they come home safely to the people who love them.”
NSW Health will consult festival organisers and harm-reduction groups before deciding which events will receive the service each year.
