January 15th, 2025Festival pill testing early results positive: government

Victoria’s mobile pill testing service got off to a successful start with preliminary data and insights from the recent Beyond the Valley music festival indicating young people are eager for information that could keep them safe, the state government says.

Acting Minister for Mental Health Mary-Anne Thomas recently confirmed that the free and confidential service spoke with more than 700 people – the majority in their late teens or early twenties – and tested more than 600 samples, with MDMA, ketamine and cocaine the common drugs presented for testing.

The five-day Beyond the Valley music festival was the first in Victoria to have a mobile drug-checking service as part of a state government trial that will have pop-up sites at 10 festivals over the next two summers to help determine the best model to introduce the drug reform.

A media release issued from the premier’s office the day after the festival ended stated that the service’s harm reduction focus had proven effective with preliminary data revealing nearly 40 per cent of festivalgoers said they would use a smaller amount of their drugs following a conversation with a healthcare worker as part of the testing process.

The state government media release – issued in the wake of the Beyond the Valley music festival that took place at Barunah Plains south of Ballarat over December 28-January 1 – also stated:

“For more than 70 per cent of patrons, these conversations were the first time they had ever had an open, judgment-free discussion about drug and alcohol safety with a health professional.

“The service regularly saw patrons with pre-existing medical conditions who had not considered how substances might interact with their health – often they visited the service to test substances, unaware of the potential risks specific to their conditions.

“Testing sometimes revealed these substances were not what they thought – a crucial discovery for people with heart conditions, respiratory issues, or other health concerns.

“On multiple occasions, patrons reconsidered their choices after understanding the potential consequences once speaking to the service’s health workers.

“The service also saw a significant number of festivalgoers keen to understand the interaction of recreational drugs with mental health conditions and prescription medications particularly antidepressants – many did not know that recreational drugs can interact dangerously with prescribed medications.

“One example was a conversation with someone who had only recently started taking prescribed antidepressant medication and was considering taking MDMA – the health workers talked them through the potential risks and side effects if they chose to do that. The person said they would not use their drugs following this conversation.

“Operated by The Loop and Harm Reduction Victoria in partnership with Youth Support and Advocacy Service – the service was able to test up to 200 drug samples a day, more than any other pill testing service in Australia.”

The trial is one of the health-led drug harm initiatives being delivered by the current state government, with the state’s $95 million Statewide Action Plan to reduce opiate drug deaths and harm now underway.

Acting Minister for Mental Health Mary-Anne Thomas: “These preliminary insights have already highlighted that what starts as a simple drug check often evolves into deeper conversations about health and wellbeing – a crucial step in our harm reduction approach.”

The Loop Australia Drug Checking Director Sarah Hiley: “The response to Victoria’s first drug checking service at Beyond the Valley has exceeded our expectations. Our expert team of chemists, healthcare workers and harm reduction specialists were able to engage with hundreds of young people in meaningful conversations about their health and safety.

Untitled Group Director of Festivals and Major Events Pete Sofo: “Untitled Group and its festivals, including Beyond The Valley, have always worked hard to prioritise the health and safety of our community of attendees.

“The addition of the drug checking trial has been a valuable resource for festivalgoers, and we are proud to have facilitated this in collaboration with the Victorian Government, the Department of Health, YSAS, The Loop Australia, and Harm Reduction Victoria.”

This story based on a state government media release