While New South Wales and Victorian governments continue to push back against the idea, Western Australia politicians appear to be taking a serious approach to pill testing.
As PerthNow reports, Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt has personally supported pill testing following a recent round table which discussed new proposals to deal with alcohol and drugs in the community.
“Pill testing is a very live issue at the moment with festivals and those kind of things,” Pettitt said.
“Falls Festival I understand has been advocating for it. I would expect for those kind of scenarios, like festivals and others, if the festival organisers wanted it I suspect council would support it."
It comes after a 22-year-old man died after taking an "unknown substance" at Lost Paradise festival in New South Wales last week, while a 20-year-old male was confirmed to have passed away the next day after being hospitalised from a suspected overdose at Beyond The Valley festival in Lardner.
“It is a State Government issue and once they have had final say on, but certainly if they were to change that view I think we would be happy to support it," Pettitt continued.
"Personally I think it is a pragmatic approach."
Pettitt's comments come just a day after the Fremantle leg of Falls Festival.
Speaking to The Music last week, Matt Noffs, CEO of Ted Noffs Foundation, who were instrumental in Australia's first-ever pill testing trial at Groovin The Moo in Canberra last year, called out NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian for her continued opposition to pill testing.
"I've got a very simple line for the Premier which is... for God's sake before you make a decision, listen to the evidence," Noffs said.
"Because when you don't listen to the evidence and you make an ill-informed opinion, it's pure ignorance and it really angers many many parents across Australia."
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