Defqon 1 music festival in Sydney over the weekend saw two people die from drug overdoses, two people in critical condition and more than 700 seeking medical help. All this has seen the debate over policing drugs at festivals well and truly reignited.
I never want to see this event held in Sydney or NSW ever again. We will do everything we can to shut this down.
- NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian
Four people have died at the Defqon 1 festival in the last five years alone. In addition to the two fatalities this year, a 23-year-old man was found dead at the festival in 2013. And in 2015, a 26-year-old man was found unconscious in a tent on site - he later died in hospital.
Shane Varcoe spoke to Marc Fennell and Jan Fran.
Pill testing was trialled for the first time this year at Groovin the Moo festival in Canberra. More than 120 people took part. 85 samples were tested, 2 of which were found to be deadly. The territory’s health Minister labelled it a success and the organisers say they’re confident they’ll get a second trial.
Whether or not we want to admit it, zero tolerance hasn’t yet curbed Australia’s drug habits.
The latest figures -- released today -- found the number of illicit drug seizures have jumped more than 85% in the last decade. Cannabis accounted for more than half of all seizures, followed by amphetamines (like MDMA), ‘unknown’, cocaine and heroin. Meanwhile, illicit drug arrests are at a record high - almost doubling in the last ten years, again led by cannabis and amphetamines.
But will these latest deaths lead to change or just more conflict?
