Investigative news segment 60 Minutes join the ABC and  mainstream media’s look at drug use locally while boldly stating that “clearly Australia’s drug strategy is not working” and that there is an alternative to sniffer dogs.

Speaking to experts in the various fields of health, including those overseas in The Netherlands and Austria who have ditched the dogs in favour of pill testing told reporter Tara Brown that they were reducing harm using science and logic rather than the blanket scare tactics currently used in Australia ie “you take it and you could die”.

Part of the clip shows an average night in Vienna that offers drug testing paid for by the local council that involves a simple scrape of a pill to be able to figure out if it contains the pure form of MDMA. After testing the results are posted to a board with distinguishable colours advising club goers of whats in their pills.

“The reality is, drug taking is a fact and if you know more about what you are taking then you can decide if you wish to consume it.”

With our position as one of the highest users of ecstasy in the world and having spent over $7 billion worth of narcotics in 2014 we stand to gain a lot from trying more progressive measures that could have potentially saved the lives of those who have sadly passed away recently from either ingesting contaminated drugs or pressure to take them from sniffer dogs.

The current laws put the entirety of the responsibility on the user for even possessing just one pill that could result in restricted travel or access to a job. There’s no debating the Police are there to save lives, but are they using the more effective methods possible to protect people from potentially taking toxic drugs?

When you also have comedians tearing apart the debate for drug detection dogs you have to wonder if things really are working.

It seems like 60 Minutes have taken a stance in similar fashion to the Greens who are pushing a public reform on drug legalisation as well as leading doctors who suggest ecstasy should be regulated and sold over the counter.

Meanwhile Portugal is successfully treating drug addiction as a health issue and not a justice one while the DEA approved the use of MDMA for anxiety within patients in the USA.

With a controlled market, the final product can be sold knowing whats used to create it with advice, education and more safety when purchased – somewhat like the sale of alcohol and cigarettes.

Watch the story ‘Testing Times’ here, a real eye opener and fair look.