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

Australia's first government-run drug testing pilot program will take place at the Yours and Owls music festival in Wollongong on the first weekend of March. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed the news on Wednesday morning, stating that the free service will be available on March 1st and 2nd inside a medical tent at the festival grounds.

The tent and the surrounding area will be designated as an amnesty zone, allowing people to have their drugs tested without fear of judgment, and entrances and exits will be jointly managed to ensure anonymity. The drug testing tent will be staffed by New South Wales Health personnel, along with peer workers, health workers, and analysts.

Participants can have their drugs analyzed for purity, potency, and any adulterants. Afterwards, they can discuss the test results and their experiences with qualified counselors. "We wholeheartedly welcome this initiative from the NSW Government," said Ben Tillman, co-founder of Yours and Owls festival. He added, "Drug testing is something we have been advocating for a long time."

Tillman also emphasized, "While Yours and Owls has a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal drugs, we are realists and believe that prohibition alone is not effective. Drug testing is not a silver bullet, but it is a proven harm minimization strategy that has been successfully implemented in many overseas countries for over 20 years." Despite the amnesty in the drug testing area, the festival emphasized that illegal drugs remain illegal throughout New South Wales, and standard laws apply to other areas of the festival grounds. New South Wales Police will also be present at the festival and may use drug detection dogs for searches.

Health Minister Ryan Park emphasized that taking drugs is never safe, and while drug testing cannot guarantee absolute safety, it helps minimize harm. He stated, "There is always a risk when taking these substances. However, this trial aims to provide people with the information they need to make more informed decisions about drug use, thereby reducing drug-related harm and saving lives." Drug testing was first introduced in Australia at the Groovin The Moo festival in Canberra in 2018 and 2019 and was successful, with multiple people discarding pills after discovering they contained potentially lethal substances.

Since the initial trial, drug testing services have also been offered at the Spilt Milk festival, Beyond The Valley festival, Wildlands festival, and Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival. The service will also be available at festivals in Victoria in 2025, including the Pitch Music & Arts festival in March, as well as the Ultra festival and The Warehouse Project festival in April.