‘Should be essential’: Festival goers back calls to implement pill testing, address strip searches at NSW music festivals

Festival goers have backed increasing calls from experts to implement pill testing and address strip searching at NSW music festivals ahead of the state’s highly anticipated drug summit, claiming it could “reduce (the) risk of people dying”. Thousands of music fans descended upon the Knockout Outdoor music festival on Saturday, with more expected to head to Listen Out on Sunday as festival season kicks off. Many Knockout attendees, who wished to remain anonymous, echoed calls from experts to implement pill testing at NSW music festivals, with Victoria having committed to a trial over summer following the success of similar trials in ACT and Queensland. A 25-year-old Knockout attendee said pill testing is “really important”, claiming people will bring drugs into festivals no matter what. “It should be essential,” he said. “People are going to bring (drugs) in no matter what … there’s no point fighting it because at the end of the day it’s going to get in.” A 25-year-old woman he attended the festival with agreed it’s an “amazing idea”, while another 25-year-old man backed calls to implement it. “Your safety is number one,” he said. “As long as you tell them ‘You won’t get in trouble if you have something on you ... I’m all for it.” Another 25-year-old woman said while ideally people wouldn’t consume drugs in the first place, pill testing could help “ensure people are as safe as they possibly can be”. “You do hear of horror stories of when things don’t go too well for some people, and if it’s a way to reduce that risk of people dying and serious harm I think it’s definitely a good idea to have,” she said. The calls follow the death of two men in suspected drug overdoses last year after attending the Knockout Outdoor festival in Sydney, with nine urgent medical transfers to hospital also being made at the 2023 event. A 27-year-old Western Sydney woman also claimed she was “felt all over” and made to squat and cough during a strip search at the same festival last year, with the experience leaving her terrified of attending similar events. “Until they bring in the pill testing, and people are no longer being harassed by dogs and officers, I will no longer go to an event in Sydney,” she said. “It was a horrible experience, I definitely don’t want to go through it again.” Slater and Gordon and Redfern Legal Centre have filed a class action against the state of NSW on behalf of people who were allegedly unlawfully strip searched by police at music festivals between 2016 and 2022. Slater and Gordon senior associate William Zerno said there have been reports of festival goers having to do “really degrading things” during strip searches, with some claiming they were even asked to remove their tampons. A 28-year-old attending this year’s Knockout festival called for strip searches to be axed, claiming they could lead to more deaths. “They shouldn’t do it because it just causes people to take all of it, and people are just going to die,” she said. “Say they were sneaking something in … rather than dumping (the drugs) they’re going to put it all in their mouth, so it’s more dangerous.” Another 25-year-old woman claimed strip searches are “demoralising”. Harm Reduction Australia president Gino Vumbaca said there is a “lot of anxiety and concern in the community” heading into this festival season over the “continued lack of action by the NSW government to allow proven harm reduction programs, such as pill testing, to be available”. “We all want the same outcomes; the government just needs to let the evidence steer the way forward,” he said, having earlier offered to run a free pill testing trial in NSW. NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said he is looking forward to “hearing from a range of community voices and their experiences” at the state’s drug summit, slated to begin in November. “The government continues to embrace a comprehensive range of existing measures geared towards awareness, prevention and harm minimisation,” Mr Park said. “NSW Health works with music festival organisers to keep people safer at music festivals. “The NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Ambulance and local health districts (LHDs) provide support and advice on harm reduction strategies and risk management approaches for all music festivals across NSW.” A NSW Police spokesperson said police will “have a presence” at Knockout and Listen Out this weekend “to ensure the safety of all patrons”. “Officers will continue to enforce the law with regard to the illegal supply of possession of illicit substances,” the spokesperson said. Detective Superintendent Paul Simpkins issued a reminder that prohibited drugs are “illegal and potentially life-threatening, especially when combined with alcohol” ahead of Listen Out on Sunday. “I urge everyone to behave responsibly. If you or one of your mates feels unwell, please seek professional medical attention at one of the medical tents on-site,” Superintendent Simpkins said. “Our goal is for everyone to enjoy the festival safely. We will not tolerate anyone who intends to jeopardise that safety or thinks they are above the law.”