State's pill testing trial to be launched at local music festival

State’s pill testing trial to be launched at local music festival

With 35,000 festivalgoers expected this year, Beyond the Valley will be the largest Australian event to date to provide pill testing. Photo: FACEBOOK/BEYOND THE VALLEY

BEYOND the Valley will be the first music festival to host a mobile drug checking site as part of the Victorian government’s forthcoming pill testing trial.

The four-day music festival will be held between December 28 and January 1 at Barunah Plains in Hesse, near Inverleigh.

This year’s festival is expected to draw a crowd of 35,000, making it the largest Australian event to provide access to pill testing to date.

Premier Jacinta Allan said the service would be free, confidential and provided to festivalgoers in a safe and non-judgemental space, with professional medical advice on hand.

“This is a simple and common-sense way to save lives.

“Let’s be clear: no drug is safe, but people deserve to know if that one pill will kill.”

She said evidence gathered from around the world suggested pill testing worked, and the service gave young people the information they needed.

The service will be delivered in partnership with The Loop Australia – a not-for-profit organisation that also operates drug checking services in Queensland – and will test pills, capsules, powders and liquids to identify harmful and potentially deadly chemicals.

“Our drug-checking service will test the make-up of most substances, providing people with vital information, confidential health advice and honest conversations to help them make safer choices,” The Loop Australia chief executive Cameron Francis said.

The state government last month passed the legislation required to enable both fixed and mobile pill testing services to operate in Victoria.

Pete Sofo, director of festivals and major events at Untitled Group, which organises Beyond the Valley, welcomed the trial.

“Untitled Group have always prioritised the health and safety of our community, and we’re excited to offer an extra layer of support for patrons to better understand the risks and make informed choices around drug use,” he said.

An additional nine music festivals have been earmarked for inclusion in the trial.