In closing the inquest into six MDMA-related deaths of people aged 18 to 23 at NSW music festivals, deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame recommended pill testing be conducted at NSW festivals, as well as the decriminalisation of personal drug use and the scrapping of sniffer dogs. This, thankfully, is a much-needed call for a radical change in drug policy.
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As Greens NSW MP David Shoebridge said, "The Coroners Court findings make it clear the aggressive ongoing police war against young people and the music industry is damaging and unwinnable.
"A key finding was that drug detection dogs don't work to limit supply of illegal drugs but instead are more likely do encourage risky behaviour like pre-loading or panic ingestion. This must spell the end of the drug dog program and police as responders to drugs rather than medical professionals."
Ms Grahame made a total of 28 recommendations, including eight to NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, four to NSW police, nine to NSW Health and the rest to government departments and event organisers.
Ms Grahame said pill testing was an evidence-based harm reduction strategy that should be trialled "as soon as possible in NSW".
She said high-visibility and punitive policing operations at festivals - including drug detection dogs - had "inherent dangers and few if any benefits" and should be scrapped.
The court heard the use of strip searches should be limited to circumstances where there is a "reasonable suspicion".
Ms Grahame said the NSW government should give "full and genuine consideration" to "decriminalising personal use of drugs, as a mechanism to reduce the harm caused by drug use".
The NSW government has reiterated its opposition to pill testing trials after the coroner's draft recommendations were leaked last month.
Ms Grahame called on Ms Berejiklian's government to look at drug problems at festivals with "fresh eyes" and examine evidence-based solutions before delivering dozens of recommendations.
The evidence before the inquest "clearly indicated" much can be done to prevent MDMA deaths, she said.
"There are practical solutions," Ms Grahame noted.
"However, the evidence draws into clear focus the need for the NSW government to look with fresh eyes at the potential dangers associated with drug use at music festivals."
The NSW government should give "full and genuine consideration" to "decriminalising personal use of drugs."
- Harriet Grahame
Immediately after Grahame handed down her findings the NSW commissioner of police, Mick Fuller, released a statement saying he "strongly denied" the suggestion police were "implicit" in the deaths. So strongly did he defend his officers that the Sydney Morning Herald devoted a front page to the headline "Coroner, police clash on festivals" as he denied any link between police methods and drug deaths.
In attempting to do so he said music festivals "create a concentrated market for drug supply and organised criminal groups".
At the time, the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, dismissed the recommendation to introduce pill-testing on the basis "it would give a false sense of security" to users.
Outside the coroner's court on Friday, Jennie Ross-King, the mother of Alex Ross-King, urged Berejiklian to "listen to the experts" and introduce pill-testing before the summer.
"Pill-testing is available now. These guys are sitting there waiting for a phone call to turn up," she said.
Another mother, Julie Tam, urged Berejiklian not to "waste this opportunity".
"None of us standing here in front of you today want to be here," she said. "We would give anything to have our children back [but] as parents we stand before you and urge you to embrace the recommendations and implement them."
Grahame also called for police to limit the use of strip searches to people suspected of supply, and for the government to pay to establish a permanent drug-checking facility outside the festival context.
Locally our state MP, Joe McGirr said, in relation to the coroner's findings: "She has made a very strong case for a trial of pill testing. I think it's a very sober and judicial weighing up of the evidence."
It's also a very big pity that Dr Joe couldn't go beyond that small step and go as far as supporting the coroner's other recommendations, namely abandoning the use of sniffer dogs and the decriminalisation of personal drug use. Implementing those recommendations would solve the largest problems.