Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — My question is to the Minister for Training and Skills, representing the Minister for Police. A number of states held Stereosonic festivals over the weekend and the past few weeks, and with them came substance use. As we saw in the Age, there were reports of six suspected overdoses in Melbourne last weekend, including by one man who is still in a serious condition. There have been some deaths at these festivals around the country. Pill testing is a harm reduction intervention available in countries including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France. It has been lobbied for by most harm reduction specialists in Australia. My question is: will the government introduce a pilot trial of pill testing to help protect festivalgoers and reduce drug-related harm this summer?
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I thank the minister for his answer, and I look forward to hearing more. Obviously pill testing has been shown to greatly reduce drug-related harm. Some people might say that it sends the wrong message, but I think it actually sends a message that we care about our youth. I would be interested to know what other harm-reduction measures the government is planning for festivals in the future.
