The Barr government says a national approach is needed after the ACT's successful pill testing trial.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
However the ACT Opposition maintains the government-supported pilot has put the territory out of step with the rest of the nation.
In its final report from the Groovin the Moo trial in May, the STA-SAFE consortium recommended the federal government lead the way in introducing pill testing at music festivals across the country, as well as fixed sites like needle and syringe programs.
The consortium also called on state and territory governments to work together to develop a national pill testing framework, as well as an ongoing public early warning system of all drug test results.
Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris said while she would support future trials, she would not pre-empt if or when the next one would occur.
She said she would share the results with other state health ministers and encourage them to "sensibly" look at holding their own trials.
"I hope other states and territories can learn from the experience we have had here," Ms Fitzharris said.
But the Canberra Liberals' legal affairs spokesman Jeremy Hanson said the results of the trial had solidified his opposition to pill testing.
He said that opposition was consistent with every other government and law enforcement agency in the country.
"It is the Labor party and the Greens in the ACT who have taken the different view that is not consistent with the broader view of Australian law enforcement and government agencies," Mr Hanson said.
“It is clear from what the Greens have been pushing on this they want pill testing rolled out across Civic, across nightclubs and precincts and that is their view of the way forward here, you can have pill testing on every corner. I don’t support that, I think that sends the wrong message."
Victorian Liberal Senator Mitch Fifield also said he was opposed to a national rollout.
"I don't consider that the consumption of illegal drugs is something that is intrinsic to the performing arts or live music in the nation," Senator Fifield said.
"I would urge people who attend arts events to say no when someone offers them illicit substances. The best way for people to protect themselves against illicit substances is not to take them."
Mr Hanson suggested broader education programs about the danger of drugs at festivals and in schools should be used, as well as a kind of reactive pill testing on the ground.
He said giving frontline paramedics the ability to more accurately test for what drugs patients had taken "makes a lot of sense".
"The problem is by testing or advertising [proactive] testing it sends the false impression that testing is safe and that proactive measure is having an unintended consequence," Mr Hanson said.
"You look at what’s happening in the UK where they have pill testing, look at the evidence. The overwhelming advice is this is not the way to go."
The results of the Groovin the Moo trial have been deemed an "overwhelming success", with 42 per cent of participants indicating they would change their behaviour after seeing what was in their drugs.
While only five patrons were seen to discard their drugs, "numerous discards" were seen near the tent after the festival.
A 15-year-old festivalgoer was the youngest to have pills tested, although 45 per cent of participants were aged 20 or younger.
