Over the New Years, the drug testing group known as “Know Your Stuff” claimed to have found bath-salt laced MDMA at five separate events.
Directing manager Wendy Allison had this to say about the results:
“Large doses of the stimulant, known as N-ethylpentylone have been linked to deaths overseas and hospitalizations in New Zealand.
“The biggest issue is that it is a stimulant so it will increase your heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature and in a festival environment where everyone is dancing these things can get elevated to a very dangerous level.
“The other thing is when you’ve taken an MDMA-sized dose of N-ethylpentylone you’ve actually taken three times more than the average active dose so you’re already in potential-overdose territory.”
Drug testing tents at festivals have become much more popular these days with support from attendees and law enforcement. Ms Allison says the testing tents have reduced drug harm and could do so much more if given the right to operate openly.
Apparently thousands of dollars worth of drugs were throw away over New Years. Not because of confiscation but the fact that people were able to see what was really inside their pills.
“Ultimately we would like to see the Misuse of Drugs Act reviewed entirely but in the short term with regards to drug checking at festivals the thing we want to see is a change so that event organizers who get in services like ours are no longer criminalized.”