Two ‘deadly’ MDMA capsules were detected at Groovin’ the Moo music festival during Australia’s first ever illicit pill-testing trial.
In a highly controversial move, revellers were able to get their drugs tested by volunteer medical staff and chemical analysts at Sunday’s event in Canberra.
Nearly 130 partygoers took advantage of the service, with staff testing 85 drug samples.
Half returned a result of ‘other’ and contained lactose, sweetener, paint and even toothpaste, according to the Ted Noffs Foundation.
Two ‘deadly’ MDMA capsules were detected at Groovin’ the Moo music festival during Australia’s first ever illicit pill-testing trial
Ted Noffs Foundation CEO Matt Noffs deemed the pill testing trial a roaring success
The foundation’s CEO Matt Noffs said the remaining 50 per cent contained pure MDMA, with two samples deemed ‘deadly’.
They were found to contain the lethal N-Ethylpentylone chemical, which has caused several of mass overdoses across the globe.
‘We’ve just taken a big step towards taking back control of the dangerous black market in drugs in order to keep our kids safe,’ Mr Noffs said in a statement.
He later tweeted: ‘Two of the samples were deadly. So, harm reduced. We did it.’
Nearly 130 partygoers took advantage of the service, with staff testing 85 drug samples
Half of the drugs tested returned a result of ‘other’ and contained lactose, sweetener, paint and even toothpaste
STA-SAFE member David Caldicott said there was an extraordinary range of substances detected.
‘We found a Polish toothpaste in one of them; we found arnica, which is a muscle rub; we found Hammerite paint,’ Dr Caldicott told ABC Radio Canberra.
‘We found a whole bunch of very unusual products in many of these pills that the consumers would regard as duds.
‘I think it disrupts the market. By coming to the tent to have their pill tested and to chat with the workers they’ve avoided a trip to hospital.’
The STA-Safe consortium received the last-minute go-ahead to offer free pill-testing in a mobile laboratory in a festival health tent, with the support of the ACT government and ACT Police.
STA-SAFE member David Caldicott said there was an extraordinary range of substances detected