NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has once again refused to support pill testing, despite a coroner's recommendation that the harm reduction strategy be trialled "as soon as possible" at music festivals in the state.
Deputy coroner Harriet Grahame on Friday made 28 recommendations - including a pill-testing trial - after a lengthy inquest into six MDMA-related deaths at music festivals.
Ms Grahame said medically supervised drug checking wasn't a magic solution, but she was in "no doubt whatsoever" there was sufficient evidence to support a trial.
Drug checking is simply an evidence-based harm reduction strategy that should be trialled as soon as possible in NSW.
But Mr Fuller on Monday said NSW Police continued to oppose pill testing.
"I'm gravely concerned about the message that pill testing sends to young people about the consumption of illegal substances," he said in a statement.
"Pill testing provides a false confidence to an individual that the drug they want to take is safe.
"There is no such thing. All illegal substances carry the risk of harming or ultimately killing the user."
The commissioner cited evidence from NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant that most of the harm from taking illicit substances did not come from contaminants.
"Most of the harm occurs from drugs people intended to purchase. Pill testing will not reduce this harm," Mr Fuller said.
"At present, the technology does not allow for adequate identification of dose levels or small traces of highly toxic substances."
The testing method is also an inaccurate reflection of the entire composition of the pill, he added.
"These are some of the critical flaws in proposals to test pills at dance parties and music festivals and as such, any such proposal will not be supported by me."
Mr Fuller said NSW Police remained committed to reducing harm by targeting supply networks and organised crime and through supporting harm minimisation strategies including education.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has long refused to back pill testing and on Friday insisted: "We have a strong view that pill testing is not the way."
Later today in Victoria, The Greens and the Reason Party will join to table a bill for a pill testing trial in the state.
The bill would establish a two-year trial of a mobile pill testing service for major music festivals, as well as a site providing more detailed analysis year-round.
The , which the Greens described as an affordable way to save lives.
“For too long the Government has tried to police Victorians out of drug use, but we know that prohibition doesn’t work and only increases harm, while over 20 years of evidence shows pill testing protects people from the harm of illicit drug use,” Greens spokesperson for health Dr Tim Read said.
Reason Party leader Fiona Patten, who is co-sponsoring the bill, agreed.
"We know this measure will not only save lives but actually reduce drug use by promoting some of the most valuable drug education a young person can get," Patten said.
It’s backed up by evidence so why on earth wouldn’t we do this?
When the pill testing program was first introduced to Victorian government it was dubbed ‘Daniel’s Bill’ after Daniel Buccianti, who died of a drug overdose at Rainbow Serpent festival in 2012.
Buccianti's mother, Adrianna, told The Feed she hopes authorities will consider a pill testing trial.
“Pill testing is providing people the opportunity to go into the tent, have the discussion, have their drug tested and if they’re deadly, they will throw them away,” she said.
“No pill testing service is going to tell a punter that any drug is a good drug to take. In fact, they will say that no drug is safe to take.”
“[Politicians] are frightened at what the backlash could be but they need to come forward and show strength, show courage, all those things that you vote leaders in for.”
