Keyword "pill testing" - List of latest news (39 results)

22/04 Deadly drugs find new Aussie market

Deadly drugs that have killed young people across the country have been found by Northern Territory health workers for the first time.

03/04 Warning of overdose spike in one state

A leading medical authority has warned that closing Queensland’s drug testing services could lead to more overdoses, as a synthetic opioid, hundreds of times more potent than heroin, continues to surface in the state.

02/04 Gross detail in unlawful strip search

The NSW government has admitted that police officers unlawfully strip searched a Splendour in the Grass festival attendee.

18/02 Pill test trial in NSW comes with a catch

The Yours and Owls festival in March will be the first music event to introduce pill testing in NSW, but police have warned patrons may face drug dogs and strip searches before they reach the health staff conducting the trial.

18/02 Huge move for popular Aussie festival

The first festival to take part in a NSW pill testing trial has been announced following recommendations from the state’s drug summit.

31/01 Horror discovery in water tank

WARNING: Graphic content

30/01 $500k luxury car stolen from home

A Ferrari worth half a million dollars has been stolen from a home in Melbourne’s west, while three other cars were also stolen following a string of break-ins.

15/01 ‘Suffocating’: Pill testing problem exposed

OPINION

12/01 ‘Embarrassing’: Star forced to stop Aussie show

A popular musician has gone viral after stopping his set halfway through to call out the crowd for their “rowdy” behaviour.

30/12 Man overdoses at popular music festival

A man has been hospitalised in an apparent drug overdose at the Beyond the Valley music festival in regional Victoria, only days into the state’s pill-testing trial.

27/12 Major development for Victorian pill testing laws

Victoria will roll out pill testing for the first time at the Beyond the Valley dance festival on Saturday in the inaugural test of the state’s new laws.

18/12 ‘Save lives’: State’s major drug call

NSW will run a pill testing trial at music festivals early next year following recommendations from the state’s drug summit in a move to “reduce harm and save lives”.

05/10 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”.

07/09 NSW government slammed for ‘betting’ on lives of kids

The mother of a young woman who died from an overdose at a music festival claims the NSW government is “betting kids’ lives on ‘just say no’” as NSW enters another festival season without pill testing.

06/09 Fresh details on highly anticipated NSW drug summit

A former NSW Liberal leader who previously declined to back pill testing will co-chair the NSW drug summit as experts share their fears the state will go into another festival season with no action.

25/06 'We need to accept the evidence': Victorian government outlines details of pill testing trial

Pill testing will be rolled out across 10 Victorian festivals this summer and a fixed site will be established in the city in a bid to decrease drug overdoses.

04/04 'Lives saved' as pill testing at Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival detects wide array of drugs

Data from Australia's biggest festival pill testing service shows MDMA and ketamine were prevalent at the Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival, with new psychoactive substances also showing up.

03/04 New drug discovered in festival first

Queensland’s first legal pill testing tent has been hailed as a huge success, as it was revealed the chemists detected a new drug that’s becoming more popular at Australia festivals.

20/03 Missed meeting could cost state ‘billions’

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park says he won’t be able to attend an important meeting with his state and territory counterparts, which could cost the state “billions of dollars”, because of the opposition’s actions.

02/02 Deadly opioid lurking in Sydney streets, hospitalises three

A life-threatening opioid is falsely being sold as MDMA in Sydney – but those who want to test for the deadly drug have no way to safely do so.

28/01 More than 150 deaths a day in the US are linked to drugs like fentanyl. Experts warn Australia is unprepared for a similar crisis

Unlike the United States, synthetic opioids like a fentanyl aren't a major feature in Australia's drug markets. However, experts warn this could quickly change.

15/01 Scientists at the nation's only fixed pill-testing site were baffled by three mystery drugs. They turned out to be novel in Australia

Canberra's fixed pill-testing site encountered three drugs that staff could not identify. So, the substances were sent to chemists at the Australian National University. 

12/01 Reason for mass festival overdose revealed

The reason behind a mass overdose at Hardmission Festival last weekend has been revealed.

09/01 Festival fears after suspected overdoses

Concerns have been raised a “bad batch” of drugs are circulating in Victoria following a suspected mass overdose at a Melbourne rave.

01/11 ‘God’s sake:’ Branson’s urgent plea to pollies

Celebrated philanthropist and billionaire Sir Richard Branson has called for sweeping drug reform in NSW, as activists continue to push for a pill testing trial ahead of the summer festival season.

28/10 $42m drug ‘safe house’ raided

Black suitcases containing about 117kg of illegal party drugs have been seized by police in a raid on an alleged “safe house”.

26/10 ‘Lives at risk’: State’s pill-testing plea

Industry and medical bodies representing nurses and doctors have called on the NSW government to urgently implement pill and drug-checking measures during the summer festival season or risk putting young lives at risk.

05/10 Obscene video shows man pleasuring himself at Listen Out festival

An attendee at Listen Out festival in Sydney shocked partygoers by allegedly masturbating in front of the stage.

03/10 Claims of illegal strip search at Syd festival

A woman has claimed that she was subject to an illegal strip search at Knockout festival on Saturday.

30/09 Festivalgoers push for pill testing

Festivalgoers are urging for pill testing to be brought in at Aussie music festivals.

05/05 Dangerous drug found in unknown powder

Authorities have issued a warning about a potent opioid that has contaminated other drugs and may cause overdose and death.

30/04 Cocaine-like drugs found in Aussie wastewater

Seven new drug compounds, including substances which mimc MDMA and cocaine have been detected in Australian wastewater, a study has found.

21/04 Call for controversial illicit drug trial in NSW

NSW Youth and Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson has encouraged her Labor government colleagues to support pill testing at music festivals.

28/02 Dan doubles-down on state’s drug laws

Daniel Andrews has doubled-down on his firm stance to not alter Victoria’s pill testing laws despite Queensland’s movement on the issue.

27/02 State‘s ‘brave decision’ on pill testing

A prominent group of doctors have come out in support of Queensland’s move to give pill testing the green light, saying it is a “huge step forward” and will save lives.

25/02 Queensland is first Australian state to have pill testing at festivals

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath (inset) said pill testing would allow drug users to have their narcotics tested for dangerous chemicals and substances at music festivals.

25/02 Queensland backflips on illegal drugs stance

Queensland has for the first time allowed pill testing to be offered across the state to “reduce risks and harms associated with illicit drug use”.

14/02 Australian governments refuse pill testing as festival goer dies

Greg Chipp, managing director at Drug Policy Australia, has called on the government to introduce pill testing at festivals.

13/02 CommBank worker dies in festival overdose

A young bank worker has died after a suspected overdose at a Sydney music festival over the weekend, which saw at least a dozen others hospitalised and six people charged with drug supply offences.