Drugs Information 'Pill Testing': How Would It Work, What Would It Tell Us As Well As What Are Its Limitations?
Fatalities linked to trip the low-cal fantastic events kickoff striking the headlines inwards 1995 with the ecstasy-related decease of a 15-year-old Sydney schoolgirl who had attended an undercover 'rave' party. Her decease led to community offend close drug utilization at nightlife events in addition to calls for the authorities to 'get tough' in addition to clampdown on this type of activity. Almost overnight nosotros saw heavier policing in addition to greater rule of the so-called 'rave scene' accept place. Over time, the smaller undercover events disappeared, exclusively to live replaced past times the increasingly pop festival scene. Rather than 100s of partygoers, nosotros started to come across upwards to 30,000 immature people attending a trip the low-cal fantastic event. Although rare, deaths continued to occur in addition to with each 1 at that spot was greater pressure level on constabulary to respond, eventually leading to the introduction of drug detection dogs. Still at that spot were to a greater extent than deaths. The response? More constabulary in addition to to a greater extent than dogs. These events are at in 1 trial thus heavily policed, that walking into a music festival tin give the axe experience similar moving through a constabulary station (at the in conclusion trial where a decease occurred at that spot were over 130 constabulary in addition to 140 safety staff present) … in addition to yet silent immature people travel on to die. It's clear that exactly getting tough is non stopping deaths from occurring. You could lay equally many constabulary equally you lot wish at the front end gate (and throughout the venue) but if a immature someone wants to pop a pill, snort a pulverisation or smoke whatever, they're leap to break a agency … So is at that spot some other option? Is pill testing the answer?
Pill testing (or drug checking equally drugs come upwards inwards a diversity of forms, e.g., powder, crystal in addition to liquid) is the procedure of testing a heart in addition to soul to determine the type of drug or drugs, its authorisation (strength), equally good equally position whatever other adulterants (impurities or toxins) that may live present. Pill testing is non close identifying whether a drug is prophylactic or not. The testing procedure aims to render accurate information to users to cut back terms past times preventing or modifying drug taking behaviour. Advocates of pill testing believe it is an of import tool that can:
- provide warnings in addition to alerts of peculiarly unsafe substances
- engage in addition to inform potential drug users in addition to render counselling in addition to links to other wellness services, if necessary
- provide users with information close the probable content of their drug, which tin give the axe assist them brand informed decisions close their drug taking
- provide populace wellness in addition to law enforcement with tidings close drug markets in addition to emerging consumption trends, patterns of utilization in addition to risks
Pill testing is all close providing information to potential users of drugs and, equally an educator, I totally back upwards the strategy. What I don't back upwards is how it is existence sold past times some equally some variety of 'silver bullet' that volition magically halt all drug-related deaths at nightlife events. To come across people respond to a decease of a immature someone past times maxim "If at that spot had been pill testing available this wouldn't take maintain happened", peculiarly when nosotros don't fifty-fifty know the actual drive of the death, is exactly non-sensical … It's of import to admit that the strategy has limitations. Testing results exclusively relate to the sample that was tested in addition to cannot guarantee the contents or lineament of a wider batch of the drug. Two pills mightiness facial expression the same but may live of dissimilar strength or fifty-fifty comprise dissimilar drugs in addition to adulterants. But most importantly, no drug is completely prophylactic in addition to exactly knowing what's inwards a drug doesn't hateful the user won't experience problems.
We also take maintain to retrieve that some people are exactly going to practise featherbrained things, regardless of the information they are provided. Last twelvemonth a 22-year-old fellow died at a music festival inwards Victoria whilst existence treated past times paramedics. The Coroner constitute the drive of decease to live "multidrug toxicity", with the post-mortem finding sixteen dissimilar substances inwards his bloodstream. The drugs identified included alcohol, MDMA, MDA, temazepam, oxazepam, atropine (a medication used to process nervus in addition to pesticide poisonings), ketamine, cocaine, diazepam in addition to Xanax. The Coroner's study stated that "some of his friends told him to 'pull up' equally they believed he was using also much". Would pill testing take maintain perhaps prevented this death? Most likely not.
There are a attain of other concerns equally well, many completely understandable, but does that hateful nosotros shouldn't endeavor it? Of course of study not. Pill testing for sure has the potential to salvage lives. On-site programs that position a peculiarly unsafe heart in addition to soul tin give the axe disseminate that information apace in addition to effectively to potential users via social media, hopefully resulting inwards those considering using that pill or pulverisation to dispose of it. Details of what has been identified tin give the axe also evidence invaluable to medical teams who take maintain to process those who seek help. If such a programme tin give the axe salvage the life of exactly 1 immature someone inwards this agency I believe it's worth a endeavor …
I believe at that spot is 1 other potential practise goodness of pill testing that has thus far been ignored past times authorities in addition to that is using the results equally role of ecstasy prevention programs. Currently it is almost impossible to larn reliable information close the contents of pills in addition to powders available inwards this country. If immature people practise have whatever teaching some ecstasy in addition to related drugs, they are commonly told that you lot don't know what you're getting (a unsafe message equally it implies that if you lot practise know, in addition to then that must hateful it's ok) in addition to listen authorities warning close a 'bad batch' (one of my pet hates in addition to something I take maintain written close before inwards a blog entry). I beak over ecstasy/MDMA inwards my Year 12 beak in addition to of late I started using the information from the United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland pill testing results to illustrate how variable the contents of pills in addition to powders could be. I lay a exceptional emphasis on the 'super strength' ecstasy or MDMA pills in addition to capsules that had led to a number of high-profile deaths inwards that solid reason (to larn the desired ecstasy trial the user would demand close 100mg of MDMA - at that spot take maintain been some pills tested that take maintain contained to a greater extent than than 300mg!). There's no scare tactics involved - I'm non trying to daze or terrify them past times talking close crushed-up drinking glass or battery acid or the similar - I'm exactly providing accurate in addition to up-to-date information. I had no persuasion what conduct on this type of message would take maintain in addition to and then I received this direct message via Instagram from a immature man:
"Just wish to say cheers for visiting our schoolhouse in addition to for giving us the information close MDMA. I had been considering trying it when I become to Schoolies but afterwards hearing what you lot said I've decided to give it a miss. It sounds similar it's non worth it at the moment"
That's the message, discussion for word! Now ther is no agency of knowing whether he did or didn't accept a pill when he went partying at Schoolies, but at the really to the lowest degree the testing information made him mean value (even for a brusk time) close the potential risks associated with using the drug. That's pretty damn impressive!
If pill testing was to live introduced at music festivals I believe it must exactly live 1 part of an overarching strategy. Regulations ensuring a safer physical environs for patrons that encompass issues such equally H2O provision, organising safety in addition to kickoff assistance are vital. Policing is also of import but the available evidence shows that exactly 'getting tough' does non Pb to less drug utilization in addition to reduced harm, inwards fact, it is probable to practise exactly the opposite. Illicit drugs are exactly that - they're illegal and, equally such, constabulary take maintain a undertaking to practise but armies of blueish uniforms greeting festivalgoers is non helpful. The concluding role of the strategy needs to live teaching in addition to the provision of accurate, up-to-date in addition to credible information. Utilising the results of pill testing to illustrate the variability of the contents in addition to at the same fourth dimension highlighting that testing lone cannot take away all the danger associated with ecstasy in addition to other drugs could, at the really least, brand potential users mean value twice before taking something.
Testing pills at a music festival would non take maintain prevented whatever of those deaths. However, the information collected during pill testing, if used appropriately in addition to inwards the correct context, could live useful inwards ecstasy prevention education. Ecstasy/MDMA utilization is becoming increasingly normalised with exceptional populations of immature people - believing that it is 'just what you lot do'. When you lot take maintain groups of 15-year-old girls taking it inwards a green on a Sabbatum nighttime exactly to take maintain fun, that's a worry!
What we're doing at in 1 trial is non working - at that spot has to live some other way. As I've already said, pill testing is no 'silver bullet' - it won't halt all drug-related deaths from occurring at music festivals in addition to other nightlife events (or elsewhere for that matter). If nosotros shift our thinking exactly a little, however, in addition to start seeing it non exclusively equally a 'harm reduction' strategy but also equally a potential 'prevention education' tool it may resultant inwards fifty-fifty broader benefits than take maintain previously lay forward.
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