Drug checking services could also provide an early warning system to flag any unusually dangerous substances in circulation.
The NSW Deputy Coroner has recommended a pill testing trial, the decriminalisation of personal drug use and no sniffer dogs at music festivals.
New regulations are increasing the costs for promoters rather than concentrating on what we know works to improve safety.
It's ineffective to use drug dogs at festivals and in public places because they're much more likely to catch small-time users than suppliers.
Alison Ritter has moved the Drug Policy Modelling Program from Medicine to Arts & Social Sciences to have more impact on drug policy.
Evidence is growing that pill testing encourages young people to reconsider their drug use — and new forms of testing can provide even more benefits.
Pill testing kits or booths at venues where pills are known to be consumed could inform users about the content of illicit drugs, writes Alison Ritter.
