The NSW Government has just announced a 12-month pill testing trial at festivals kicking off in early 2025. This is a big win that will help save lives and keep people safe.

This marks a significant shift in drug policy, prioritising public health and safety over punitive measures.

How pill testing trial will work

The 12-month pill testing trial will start in February 2025 and is currently limited to festivals.

Festival-goers can have a tiny bit of their pill tested by a health worker. The drugs will be tested to see:

1. What’s actually in them
2. How strong they are
3. If there are any dangerous extras mixed in

The service will employ advanced drug analysis technology capable of identifying harmful chemicals that may lead to severe health consequences or death. This helps people know more about what they might take, so they can make safer choices.

The importance of this moment

This NSW pill testing win couldn’t have come at a more crucial time. We’re facing one of the hottest summers and most dangerous festival seasons we’ve ever seen. 

NSW Health has issued more alerts for contaminated and high-dose drugs this year than the last three years combined. This includes deadly synthetic opioids like nitazenes, heroin-laced cocaine, and super-high-strength MDMA. 

This pill-testing trial represents a significant step forward in harm reduction strategies. By providing accurate information about substance composition, the service aims to:

1. Save lives by identifying potentially lethal substances.
2. Educate users about the risks associated with drug use.
3. Inform public health responses and campaigns through data collection.

What’s next?

Let’s be clear – as great as it is to see our government finally take this step forward, people don’t just take drugs at music festivals.

Pill testing services need to be available in community settings too, like we’re seeing in Queensland, Victoria and the ACT.

Pill testing services are more important than ever to prevent overdoses and save lives. We must keep pushing for community-based pill testing services.

How did we get here?

But let’s take a moment to celebrate – this pill-testing trial has taken years of relentless effort and collective action:

• Since 2015 more than 140,000 people have signed our petition for pill testing.
• Parents who have survived the overdose death of a child have supported pill testing in hundreds of media stories and met with dozens of politicians.
• We’ve flooded Sydney’s streets in protests demanding pill testing.
• Our community combined forces with community, health and legal organisations to amplify our calls for change.

And then in the lead-up to the NSW Drug Summit in December 2024, we really turned up the heat on pill testing.

Unharm supporters chipped in to get powerful pro-pill testing ads in front of millions of people. We developed a comprehensive plan to start pill testing in NSW and then got more than a dozen organisations to back it.

Today’s win is a victory for the tireless work of our community over so many years. This pill-testing trial is the first step in helping people make safer choices and save lives. 

We’re building momentum for future reforms. Pill testing is a simple, effective way to help people stay safe. More and more people understand life-saving change is a better alternative to fear and punishment for helping people stay safe.

Together, we’ll keep advocating for permanent pill testing services and more lifesaving drug reforms.