Hello everyone,
Over the weekend, I was thrilled to see a pill testing demonstration take place in NSW as part of the Splendour in the Grass festival. Pill testing champion, Dr David Caldicott, was there to show Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame how it all works.
Young people were also present, asking the experts lots of questions about how pill testing works, as well as receiving vital information about drug safety and harm minimisation.
Also at the pill testing demonstration was Jennie Ross-King, the mother of 19-year-old Alex Ross-King, who passed away in January of this year at a music festival. I will let Jennie's incredible words speak for themselves:
“I guess the disappointing part of all of it was [pill testing] has been 20 years in the making, and Alex was 19. This is why I’m feeling like I need to help promote that change...I don’t want their kid, 20 years from now, to be in the same position Alex and our family are."
“I thought it was fantastic that some of those kids were sitting there asking questions. For me, that’s who we need to be listening to, experts with knowledge and experience.”
“Enough is enough. It is getting beyond a joke now.”
I wish Jennie Ross-King was not having to make these statements. I wish her daughter was still with her, enjoying life and doing what young people do. But I am grateful that Jennie has come out in support of pill testing. I am grateful that she sees how important this is. Like me, she wants to prevent what happened to her and her family happening to anyone else.
We are just a couple of months away from the start of the busy summer festival season. I hope we do not experience another shocking season of preventable losses at music festivals, but I see no changes to policy. No relaxing of opposition to pill testing from political leaders.
Our politicians must listen to us. The majority of Australians support pill testing. The mothers of young people lost at music festivals are calling for it.
What more do they need?
Adriana Buccianti.