Drugs Information Pill Testing Isn't A Silvery Bullet To Preclude Drug Deaths, Simply It Could Move Business Office Of The Solution

Over the yesteryear fortnight nosotros own got seen 2 deaths at trip the lite fantastic festivals, patently both due to ecstasy. Both of these are tragic wastes of immature lives and, non surprisingly, Earth wants answers every bit to what happened. It is important, however, that nosotros hold back for toxicology too the coroner's study earlier nosotros bound to conclusions. But every bit always, the media approaches the commons suspects to brand comment and, although nosotros genuinely own got trivial or no information, wild statements are made most possible 'bad batches' or that aggressive policing contributed to the death. Let's hold out honest here, over the years I've been guilty of finding myself doing a media interview too beingness pushed into a corner too making a comment that inwards retrospect was non appropriate. I tin also tell you lot that the terminal interrogation you lot are commonly asked is "What would you lot say to anyone who is considering taking ecstasy?" Trying to laissez passer a balanced response to that interrogation inwards the context of of a immature individual late dying is non slow - fifty-fifty the most experienced commentator is non going to instruct it correct everytime!

For that argue I own got avoided doing whatever media interviews to a greater extent than or less the 2 deaths. Put simply, at this phase nosotros don't know what caused their death. We create know, according to their friends, that they both took ecstasy (and maybe other drugs) too that they later on died, so it is fair to shout to them every bit ecstasy-related deaths but that is most it. We don't know what pith they genuinely took (ecstasy could incorporate anything), nosotros don't know how much of that drug was inwards their organisation too nosotros don't know how they died (i.e., overheating, oculus failure, etc) so it is hard for anyone to genuinely brand comment on either case. When you lot say that you lot don't desire to brand a comment on the actual deaths, journalists motion to questions most how to preclude this from happening inwards the future. I've avoided the media inwards this expanse every bit good but when I was asked to write an Opinion Piece for the Sydney Morning Herald on possible solutions I grabbed the chance to highlight a trace of piece of work I own got most the struggle that occurs after almost every ecstasy-related expiry ...

Here is a slightly edited version of the slice (the words inwards bold are an extremely of import add-on to the slice too I give thank you lot Dr David Caldicott for alerting me to the number - I promise it clarifies my views. It was never my intention to imply that people who behave pill testing would ever advise that if you lot know what you're taking, it is safe. That is for certain non the example - I was referring to users believing this to hold out true) ...

Two apparent ecstasy-related deaths inwards every bit many weeks is unprecedented every bit far every bit I am aware. Ecstasy deaths are rare, but when they create occur they have a keen bargain of media attention. They are commonly linked to nightclubs, trip the lite fantastic events too festivals, a purpose of youth civilization that many older Australians create non empathise well, too involve drugs that weren't necessarily to a greater extent than or less when they were younger too every bit a result, they tin crusade keen community concern. 

Two 'camps' rapidly emerge inwards the days next a expiry – the prohibition foyer who demand that governments too law instruct tougher too those who grip to a greater extent than of a 'harm reduction' sentiment who commonly advise that 'pill testing' is the way forward. The 2 sides bang heads for a twosome of days, maybe a week, too so nosotros exactly operate along on every bit earlier until the adjacent tragic death. That is until terminal twelvemonth …

When a 19-year-old miss died at a Sydney trip the lite fantastic festival from an apparent drug overdose the telephone phone to instruct tougher was louder than ever. Since that fourth dimension nosotros own got seen a greater law presence at trip the lite fantastic festivals than ever before, especially inwards NSW. The number of people charged amongst possession of illicit substances at these events has never been every bit high too yet, hither nosotros are, solely a twosome of calendar month into the trip the lite fantastic festival flavor too nosotros already own got 2 deaths. Yes, nosotros tin instruct tougher but from what we've seen over the yesteryear fortnight it doesn't seem to own got made whatever departure every bit to whether people accept illicit substances, or trim back the impairment associated amongst that use. 

So what most the other side of the declaration - would pill testing help? Let me firstly yesteryear maxim I am totally supportive of this strategy but am worried that when promoting this potentially useful strategy we're promising something it can't necessarily deliver. Put simply, it's beingness made out to hold out some silvery bullet to an extremely complex issue. 

Pill testing (or 'drug checking' every bit it is called inwards some parts of the world) would supply some express data to users, commonly most potentially unsafe adulterants that tin hold out constitute inwards pills, tablets too powders. Different parts of the globe behave this strategy inwards unlike ways, sometimes a uncomplicated reagent test, whereas others offering a much to a greater extent than thorough testing regime. The whole concept is based on i of the cardinal prevention messages nosotros own got to a greater extent than or less ecstasy (and other illicits) – 'you don't know what you’re taking'. Pill testing, therefore, allows the user to own got a trivial to a greater extent than data most what it is that they're planning to use. Unfortunately, as far every bit many users are concerned, the whole concept is based on the imitation supposition that if you lot create know what you're taking, it is rubber – something that is absolutely untrue. As far every bit ecstasy is concerned, the pith users are looking for is MDMA. Test a pill too discovery out that it contains MDMA too many users believe that this agency that the pill is 'safe'. MDMA is non a rubber drug too many of the deaths that own got occurred across Europe this twelvemonth own got genuinely been due to MDMA overdose. Pill testing for adulterants would non necessarily own got assisted inwards preventing those deaths. 

It was pleasing to run into the Federal Government admit that nosotros can’t arrest our way out of the H2O ice work - the same affair goes for ecstasy too related drug culture. Tougher policing has for certain non resulted inwards less impairment – the terminal fortnight has made that abundantly clear. Age-appropriate education, based on bear witness too non only scare tactics, a evolution of an early on warning organisation most especially unsafe substances disseminated yesteryear agencies that users are to a greater extent than probable to believe (police warnings are oftentimes ignored) too an agreed 'code of conduct' for political party promoters (including appropriate policing) are exactly some of the areas that could hold out investigated. The tragedy is that nosotros solely utter most this number when nosotros own got a death, when inwards fact nosotros demand to own got an ongoing dialogue betwixt all parties (the trip the lite fantastic festival too nightclub industry, government, law too clubbers themselves) most how to motion forrad inwards a positive way inwards this area. Hopefully pill testing is a purpose of that dialogue but let's non fry ourselves that exactly i strategy is going to hateful nosotros won't run into these form of deaths inwards the future.

I'll say it again, I am totally supportive of pill testing but I am extremely worried that it is beingness position forrad every bit a uncomplicated 'solution' to a real complex work (not necessarily yesteryear the promoters of the initiatory who are good aware of its limitations too that for it to hold out effective it must hold out a purpose of a hit of strategies, but rather yesteryear the media who dearest 'black too white' solutions, the to a greater extent than controversial the better!). Let's hold out clear, fifty-fifty inwards countries where they own got pill testing inwards place, nosotros silent run into ecstasy-related deaths. As the championship of the slice says - pill testing isn't a silvery bullet to preclude deaths, but it could hold out purpose of the solution.

This is an updated version of an Opinion Piece written for the Sydney Morning Herald published on Dec 7, 2016. The original online version is also available.

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