NSW to make music festival pill testing permanent

The New South Wales government has announced $4.3 million to make pill testing at music festivals a permanent service following a successful year-long trial. Starting in October, the program will allow festival-goers to anonymously check the contents of illicit drugs at selected events.

NSW Health will consult with the music festival industry and harm reduction organizations to select up to 15 festivals for the program. While the initiative aims to reduce drug-related harms, advocacy groups such as Unharm have called for the service to be expanded to community-based sites, noting that a significant majority of MDMA-related deaths occur at private residences rather than festivals.