Controversial drug amnesty bins which allow revellers to throw away drugs without fear of arrest will be trialled at Sydney’s New Year’s Eve in the Park festival
- Drug amnesty bins set for first outing at inner-city music festival
- Dance and electronic music festival near Sydney University to trial the bins
- Festival-goers can quickly throw out their pills if they see police without blame
- Alternative to pill testing which authorities say gives false sense of security
The New Year’s Eve in the Park festival will trial the first drug amnesty bins in New South Wales.
The bins allow festival-goers to throw out illegal drugs without penalty.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian introduced the new bins as part of the NSW Government’s response to six MDMA-related deaths at NSW music festivals.
New Year’s Eve in the Park celebration last year. This year the dance party in Victoria Park in Sydney’s inner west will host drug amnesty bins for the first time
‘I want to give the community our assurance as a government that we’re doing everything we can to keep young people safe,’ Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters earlier this month.
‘We believe amnesty bins are a good way to increase safety so that young people, if they see police or if they see other activity, don’t panic and have the opportunity, without any questions asked, to throw those pills into the bin.’
The Premier has introduced the amnesty bins in part as an alternative to pill testing which has been opposed by the authorities as giving a false sense of security and condoning illicit drug use.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has rejected pill testing as condoning illicit drug use. Health authorities say people are harmed not by impurities but by the very drug they intended to buy
The popular dance party attracts thousands of young people and this year will headline hip-hop, electronic and dance artists such as Hermitude and Sneaky Sound System
‘The strongest message we continue to give as a government is that drugs kills you,’ she said.
‘That’s why they’re illegal. Do not take MDMA. Do not take ecstasy. Do not take any illegal drug because they can kill you.’
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said last month that most of the harm caused to people injured by illicit drugs is not caused by contaminants but by the very drugs they intended to purchase.
Commissioner Fuller referred to evidence given by NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant to a NSW budget estimates hearing on October 30.
‘Pill testing will not reduce this harm,’ Commissioner Fuller said.
‘At present, the technology does not allow for adequate identification of dose levels or small traces of highly toxic substances.
‘The testing method, in which only a small portion of a pill is tested, is also an inaccurate reflection of the composition of the entire pill.’
The New Year’s Eve in the Park music festival is to be held at Victoria Park in Camperdown next to Sydney University.
It will cater to dance, indie, hip-hop and electro fans with acts including Hermitude and Sneaky Sound System.
The organiser’s terms and conditions page clearly states it is a drug-free event with police in attendance and says they have the right to eject anybody clearly under the influence of drugs.