The NSW Minns Labor government has recognised that drug and pill testing is effective in reducing risks and harms associated with illicit drug use, including for festival attendees.

No-one would tolerate killing six teenagers with methanol-laced alcohol in Australia, as occurred recently in Laos. But in Australia, you can’t check your drugs to see if they’re safe.

With International Overdose Awareness Day approaching on 31 August, NSW now has the evidence, the tools and record overdose deaths but lacks the will on permanent, community based pill testing.

The NSW government today spruiked that Casino's CBD will host one of Australia's great transport events after Casino Truck Show secured funding under the state government's 2026/27 Regional Event Fund.

There is no doubt that drug testing works to reduce risk and save lives. Anonymous drug testing allows people of all ages to check their drugs and ensure that what they have bought is what they expect it to be – and not a deadly combination of drugs that could kill them and their friends. 

The Minns government has announced Yours and Owls Festival on 1 and 2 March will be the first music festival to participate in New South Wales pill testing trial.

Repeated calls for NSW drug driving law reform with consideration of medicinal cannabis have been heard at the state government’s drugs summit forum in Lismore.

At the same time that NSW Health is warning of highly dangerous substances in circulation, the Greens say people across the state will be denied access to potentially life-saving drug-checking services, after their Pill Testing Trial Bill was voted down by government, opposition, and a handful of crossbench members in the NSW Upper House yesterday.

The sun was peeking through the clouds as festival-goers arrived at the Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival in Queensland over the Easter weekend.

My mother inculcated me with a love of science, which somehow survived a run of sadistic chemistry teachers who staggeringly discouraged creative experiments in the lab. Like making LSD, and smallish explosive devices.