Pressure builds on authorities to allow amnesty bins in Australia

The heat is being turned up on authorities to allow amnesty bins at music festivals in Australia, with a number of prominent figures declaring their support in the mainstream media.

Harm Reduction Victoria chairman Bill O'Loughlin told Fairfax Media the bins, which allow festival-goers to dispose of any illicit substances they have on them without being charged by police, could prevent panic-induced overdoses brought on by the sight of police drug-detection operations.

Mr O'Loughlin said the bins would be a good "halfway measure" to minimise harm, but would also allow drug experts the opportunity to analyse the contents of substances deposited in the bins.

He said the measure would allow laboratories unique access to the drugs in circulation, as current forensic testing was mostly limited to seizures by police.

Australian Drug Foundation chief executive John Rogerson told the paper it was time for a new approach, because banning drugs would never stop people taking them.

Stereosonic founder Richie McNeill and Rainbow Serpent director Tim Harvey have also publicly backed a new approach to help improve awareness of impure drugs and promote safety.

"Any testing that can be done to basically identify bad poison out there that will stop the sale and distribution of this stuff…is going to make the police's job a lot easier, " Mr McNeill said.

[Via: The Age]