Police have issued a warning to groups looking to perform on-site pill-testing at upcoming Australian music events, saying they are risking prosecution by launching the controversial initiative.
“In Victoria it is currently unlawful to use, possess, cultivate or traffic illicit drugs in any form,” a statement from Victoria Police, via The Age, reads.
Police and politicians have taken a hardline stance on the issue of pill-testing, insisting it aids the drug trade and simply provides quality control for what is an illegal practice.
However, pro-pill testing campaigners, such as Dr David Caldicott, argue pill-testing saves lives by warning drug users about the potential dangers in the substances they plan to consume.
“We’re very confident that were we to be arrested in this environment it would be [a] wrongful arrest,” he told Fairfax.
Dr Caldicott said he and his group had sought outside legal advice which argued that licensed chemists could not be charged for pill-testing services under the conditions they plan to operate in.
“It really comes down to how law enforcement wants to police these events,” Dr Caldicott said, adding that he would like to see an amnesty for punters using pill-testing services.
According to Dr Caldicott, about 25 forensic chemists around Australia have so far volunteered to provide their services if pill-testing trials did proceed at Aussie music events.
