Over 20 people were hospitalised after attending music festivals in Sydney this long weekend, while more were charged by police on drug-related offences.
In separate statements released in the past few days, NSW Police confirmed eight people were charged at the Hardcore Till I Die event at Sydney Showgrounds on Saturday, including a 17-year-old male allegedly caught with 579 capsules.
Six festivalgoers were taken to Westmead Hospital due to suspected drug use.
Another 18-year-old man was also charged with "reckless wounding, common assault, assault police, and resist or hinder police officer in the execution of duty" after he allegedly tried to throw a glass bottle at a security guard and instead hit an 18-year-old woman in the face.
Though he initially fled from the scene, the man was later found by police and charged.
Meanwhile, on the same day at Electric Gardens in Centennial Park, one person was charged with supply a prohibited drug and 55 people were issued with Field Court Attendance Notices.
Eight people were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital and five of those hospitalisations are believed to be related to drug use.
At the debut Rolling Loud festival on Sunday, 14 punters were hit with drug-related offences, while ten people were taken to Westmead Hospital, seven of which are believed to be drug-related.
It comes as calls continue to grow for pill testing to be introduced at music festivals across the country. While the NSW government was encouraged to launch a "pilot pill testing trial" at Ultra Music Festival Australia in Sydney next month, Australia's peak body for physicians, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, urged premiers and chief ministers to introduce pill testing in an open letter.
Speaking exclusively to The Music last week, Ted Noffs Foundation (who were instrumental in Australia's first-ever pill testing trial at Groovin The Moo in Canberra last year) Campaigns & Policy Coordinator, Shelley Smith, gave a complete rundown of how and why pill testing works.
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