Tasmanian Health Minister Michael Ferguson made the following statement to SBS in February. Drug checking services at music festivals will never be a silver bullet for all drug related harm and deaths associated with music festivals. Background Information: Outdoor music festivals (OMFs) are complex events to organise with many exceeding the population of a small city. Organisers of the ‘FOMO’ Australian music festival will look to install thermal body temperature scanners for future events in light of evidence provided to an inquest into recent deaths. Dr Barratt said testing, not just at music festivals, could save lives. Four per cent of MDMA-related deaths in Australia since 2000 occurred at music festivals, according to a new report from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC). Please click here to view Facebook giveaway terms & conditions. Dr David Caldicott, the clinical lead of Pill Testing Australia, explained that pill testing is provided in conjunction with a medical consultation. NDARC research fellow Amanda Roxburgh said the number of deaths due to MDMA toxicity alone, rather than when mixed with a contaminant, "jumped out" at them. The Australian live performance sector had a record-breaking year in 2017, according to Live Performance Australia’s 2017 Ticket Attendance and Revenue Report, released this morning. "The important message is that it's not just about altered MDMA, that MDMA in itself especially in hot situations, and even in homes, can cause deaths," she said. As ABC News reports, Stefan Woodward died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital after a suspected drug overdose on Saturday. Minimising public health impacts at these events is important with improved event planning and management seen as the best method to achieve this. • Australian festival-goers attend two to three festivals per year on average and 55% plan to attend even more in the coming year. When alcohol, a depressant and common partner of drugs, is mixed with stimulants it further inhibits the respiratory system and contributes to complications. That's why we're not for profit and why your wellbeing is what matters most. The research has prompted calls for an overhaul of the state's drug and alcohol policy to shift from a punitive to a public health-focused approach, aimed at encouraging people to seek medical treatment without fear of criminal sanctions. However, many believe that pill testing creates a false sense of security for drug-takers. That's why we're not for profit and why your wellbeing is what matters most... Disclaimer Most MDMA-related deaths occur in private residences. Some vehemently oppose, while others, including leading medical identities, have thrown strong support behind the harm-minimisation approach to young people and drug taking. The harm-reduction approach for drug taking at music festivals has attracted other high-profile advocates, like the former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer. Drug use patterns of Australian music festival attendees Almost all respondents (99.7%) reported they had used a drug (including alcohol) in the last 12 months and 98.4% reported they used an illicit drug. national 6:55pm Jul 10, 2019 Michaela Whitbourn is a legal affairs reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald. The country’stop medical bodies, including the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian Medical Association, and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, publicly support pill testing in Australia. A1, Deaths: 4 March 18, 2001 – Jakarta, Indonesia. "Unless we get rid of criminal sanctions for personal use altogether, we will never be able to help a majority of these kids before we lose them altogether.". This reflects the nature of the GDS sample. As the NSW deputy state coroner examines the MDMA-linked deaths of six young music festival-goers, security precautions, pill testing and overdose procedures come under scrutiny. The victims took varying doses, from just one pill to possibly nine. Despite recommendations from health experts and successful trials at Canberra's Groovin The Moo festival, Premier Gladys Berejiklian remains opposed to pill testing. Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame, who presided over an inquest into the deaths of six young revellers who consumed MDMA, recommended in November that pill testing be trialled and "full and genuine" consideration be given to decriminalising illicit drug use. The latest death occurred after a 19 year old man attended the Knockout Games of Destiny music festival on 7 December 2018.1 That music festival also saw three people taken to hospital in a critical condition; 13 people taken to hospital for treatment and 130 … No matter what side of the fence you’re on when it comes to drug use, it is widely believed by the medical experts that education and the harm-minimisation of pill testing can save lives. As outlined in Table 2, the most commonly used drugs amongst these Australian music festival "It's hard for people to take in general messages, but a personal message gets through.". These are just a handful of the cold and callous comments that have flooded social media in recent weeks, in response to several drug deaths at music festivals across Australia. In one music festival death in 2017, 16 different substances were found in the deceased’s system, including alcohol, MDMA, and cocaine. At least nine people have died from suspected drug overdoses at Australian music festivals in the last five years, according to media reports. It's about knowing your dose, not just the purity.". Matt Bungard is a journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Noffs said "the commission must follow the NSW Coroner, and call for the removal of criminal sanctions for personal use". Our members aren't numbers or names, they're just like family. What’s involved in major dental treatment? Beyond the festival environment, the results of drug analysis can be used to inform health services and law enforcement authorities about the make-up of drugs in circulation (6, 11). A mix of drugs and other factors were responsible for most drug-related deaths in Australia in 2016. "A drug checking service can test the strength and it's really important people understand that pill testing doesn't just tell you if there's an adulterant, but also the strength - and that can change people's decisions. Rarely was MDMA solely responsible for the deaths. Over the past two weeks, deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame has heard harrowing details about the drug-related deaths of six young people at music festivals across New South Wales. This year’s service tested 170 substances for 234 participants, twice the number of those who presented at the pill testing facility last year. The study, published in the International Journal of Drug policy this month, identifies 392 deaths linked to the drug between 2000 and 2018. The main argument for pill testing is that because it’s hard to know exactly what a user is taking, helping them identify the substance they’re about to ingest, and educating them on the effects, will hopefully help mitigate deadly consequences. The NSW coroner will hold an inquest into the recent deaths of five people of suspected drug overdoses at music festivals across the state, with a public hearing to kick off next week. 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