Festival goers have reported an overall positive experience at the first government-led pill testing trial in Australia at Yours and Owls Festival.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the pilot was a success.
“To see it happen and taking place on an iconic festival that is Yours and Owls over the course of the weekend was really positive,”
he said.
It is the first time pill testing has been available in NSW, and is also the first time an Australian government has operated a pill-testing site.
The free service organised by NSW Health allowed patrons across the two-day festival in Wollongong to have their drugs tested for potentially life-threatening or unknown substances.
NSW Health tested 80 drug samples across the two days from 103 individuals.
Nearly 30,000 people attended the Yours and Owls festival. The three most common drugs were MDMA, ketamine and cocaine.
Mr Park said some people threw their drugs away before entering the festival.
“Small quantities [of illicit drugs] were discarded into the bins, which is good,” he said.
“Around 90 per cent of the drugs tested matched what the user thought they were getting.
Mr Park said from feedback, it appeared the other 10 per cent was made up of drugs consumers had not purchased or intended to purchase.
