The Wire

Australia conducted its first drug-testing trial at Canberra’s Groovin the Moo music festival over the weekend. Although possessing, supplying or using illicit drugs is still illegal in the Australian Capital Territory, drug users sought out safety advice from the STA-SAFE medical advisers, who maintained testing was necessary to combat drug-related deaths at festivals and did not aim to encourage drug use. Despite this however, their presence on the day roused debate among politicians and the wider community who fear the tests undermine the legislative powers of the government. An evaluation of the trial is underway.