The Minns Government has confirmed it plans to continue its failed and dangerous strategy of heavy handed policing, including drug sniffer dogs and strip searches, at music festivals this summer.
And they’ve ruled out drug checking (aka pill testing).
This is madness. The evidence shows that people are more likely to engage in riskier behaviour including taking all of their drugs at once out of fear of being caught by police. This has literally cost lives.
Meanwhile, NSW Health is warning that some MDMA in circulation is 4 times stronger than the standard dose with other dangerous substances having also been found in drugs that may be related to recent deaths.
The evidence is well and truly in:
Drug detection dogs increase harm and have cost lives.
Drug checking reduces harm and saves lives.
So let’s get it done.