Call for drug amnesty bins at festivals

Image: 2015 Stereosonic festival in Melbourne

Calls for drug disposal bins at festivals, similar to those used at Glastonbury in the UK, have been given a refresh from health and drug group Harm Reduction Victoria.

The peer-based organisation’s Chairman Bill O’Loughlin said drug disposal or amnesty bins as they’ve been dubbed, could reduce the risk of punters taking multiple pills after seeing police sniffer dogs. "It’s a frightened impulsive reaction at the sight of the dogs," O’Loughlin told Fairfax Media.

O’Loughlin also pointed out that amnesty bins would help police understand which drugs are in circulation.

Neil Ackland, CEO at Junkee Media and founder of Sydney’s Electronic Music Conference, told TMN he supports the call for amnesty bins.

“Giving people the opportunity to throw their drugs into an amnesty bin to avoid being caught seems to be a very sensible option versus the very dangerous alternative of taking all their drugs at once to avoid detection. 

“There’s no doubt that the sight of sniffer dogs can cause people to panic and make a dangerous split second decision to ingest all of their drugs,” he added. “Anything that can be done to reduce harm and save lives has to be considered a serious option.”

The 2014 United Nations World Drug Report found Australians had the highest rate of ecstasy consumption in the world. In the last twelve months alone three Australians have died as a consequence of illicit drug use and at Sydney’s Field Day festival on New Year’s Day 184 people were charged with drug offences. 

Stereosonic​ music festival founder Richie McNeill, who is mourning the death of 25-year-old Sylvia Choi (Choi died after collapsing at Stereosonic’s Sydney leg), supports the call for amnesty bins.

"Any testing that can be done to basically identify bad poison out there that will stop the sale and distribution of this stuff…is going to make the police’s job a lot easier,” McNeill told Fairfax. 

Amnesty bins were reportedly set to be used at last month’s cancelled Southbound festival, with police tweeting an image of the bin.

Southbound Director Dave Chitty told TMN: "I think the bins give punters ample opportunity to heed the risks involved in taking drugs into a festival environment where organisers work closely with police to ensure punter safety is prioritised.

"Ignoring the amnesty bins and police checks/sniffer dogs puts patrons at risk not only in terms of the risks of taking drugs but the impact it can have on their lives by getting caught."

Both Stereosonic and Harm Reduction Victoria are also among those pushing for pill-testing at festivals.

An open letter addressed to NSW Premier Mike Baird and NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione outlined the need for pill-testing at Australian festivals.

“Pill testing is a proven measure that reduces the risk of harm for young people who choose to take drugs,” the letter read. “Health professionals are able to speak directly to festival-goers about the potential harms of drug use. Allowing pill testing is not a statement in support of drugs and it is not put forward as a perfect remedy.”

Among the letter’s signees is signed are NSW Greens members David Shoebridge, Jenny Leong and Mehreen Faruqi, as well as President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, Dr Alex Wodak.

Mental Health Minister Martin Foley is reportedly against providing amnesty bins at festivals, saying the there were no plans to begin providing them at public venues. “We will continue to work with Victoria police and our many successful festivals to keep people safe,” he said.