Ex Police Commissioner calls for pill testing at Groovin The Moo

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Ex Police Commissioner calls for pill testing at Groovin The Moo

A former Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner has penned a letter to Groovin The Moo in regards to pill testing at the Canberra leg of their nationwide tour.

As reported by ABC, Mick Palmer sent his letter to the promoters of the festival late last week, urging them to move forward with pill testing at the event, held at the University of Canberra.

He wrote “I am delighted to see the progress being made towards improving the safety of attendees at the festivals and similar events through supporting drug pill testing in the ACT… I sincerely hope that as promoters you allow a trial to proceed.”

He added that if pill testing was to lead to a 10 per cent drop in annual overdoses in Australia that it would be setting us on the right path.

He said “People buy from unknown backstreet markets, from the criminal marketplace if you like, there’s no regulation over what is sold… They believe they’re buying A, and they’re buying A + B, but the toxicity of the drugs they take — or even the basic nature of the drugs they take — is quite different to that which they believe they bought.”

Palmer, who played a key role in John Howard’s crackdown on drugs during his term as Prime Minister, has flipped his views on drug use in Australia, explaining “The vast majority of people who use drugs are very decent young Australians who do it for recreational purposes… We’ve got to recognise that reality.”

Pill testing is already being carried out across the globe, with the UK at the forefront. The ACT gave pill testing the green light for a trial at Spilt Milk Festival last year, however it was axed. The ball is in your court now, GTM.

(Source: ABC)

 

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