Following the success of the BTV festival pill testing trial over the new years period, the Victorian Government has finally announced the remaining four sites where drug checking will be available this festival season.
- Hardmission Festival 08/02/2025
- Pitch Music & Arts 07/03/2025-11/03/2025
- Ultra Music Festival 28/03/2025-30/03/2025
- The Warehouse Project 24/04/2025-25/04/2025
According to Victoria’s pill testing provider The Loop Australia 700 festival goers who attended BTV Festival used the service and 40% said they would use a lower dose after engaging with this service. 1 in 6 people discarded their drugs entirely.
70% of people who used the drug checking service said it was the first time they’d had a judgement free conversation with a health professional about drug and alcohol use.
Up next for the trial is Hardmission Festival on the 8th of February. Last year 9 people who attended this festival were hospitalised after taking a suspected overdose of high potency MDMA.
After Hardmission both Pitch and Ultra in March will host a trial of the drug checking service. Last year a 23 year old died of a suspected overdose at Pitch.
Having drug checking present at these festivals this year will help people make more informed decisions about their drug use and reduce the risk of further overdoses.
Wrapping up the pill testing trials for this festival season is The Warehouse Project in late April.
The location of the fixed site drug checking service set to be in the city near nightlife and transport is yet to be announced but it will be opening around the middle of this year.
We look forward to continuing to hear the success stories from these trials and hope the government will agree to make drug checking a permanent fixture of Victoria’s festival and nightlife scene.
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