Fresh findings around the outcomes of a mainland pill testing trial have sparked calls for the Tasmanian government to conclusively rule in or out a similar trial being conducted in this state.
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A new report from the Australian National University found that a pill testing trial conducted at Canberra's Groovin' the Moo festival in April this year was a success and had the potential to provide a model for any future trials across Australia.
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As part of the trial, 170 substances were tested, involving 230 participants. The trial concluded that seven pills contained the potentially deadly drug N-ethyl pentylone, which had been sold as MDMA.
Festival-goers who were told their pills contained the drug ended up dumping them.
The report comes a month after a NSW coroner recommended pill testing be introduced in the mainland state.
The state government is yet to respond to the coroner's recommendations but has committed to reviewing them.
Greens health spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said the report should prompt action from the government.
"Despite the direct recommendations from the NSW coroner ... the Hodgman government has continued to delay a final decision [on pill testing]," Dr Woodruff said. "They keep claiming they need 'more information'."
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Council Tasmania chief executive Alison Lai said there were people on all sides of politics who were willing to consider the evidence in favour of pill testing.
"There [are] people in the Liberal Cabinet who are trying to talk positively about [pill testing], there's people in the Labor Caucus who are trying to progress this stuff," she said.
A spokesperson said the government was "working through" the NSW coroner's report, and would do the same with the ANU report.
The spokesperson said that there would be increased health resources and support at this year's Falls Festival, as well as a drug education initiative to "ensure patrons are aware of the risks and symptoms of an overdose and that they know where to go for support".