NEWS: Rave party team defies drug test ban

[hoptis]

This has already been posted and discussed in this thread.

 

[phase_dancer]

Threads merged

 

[ruski]

Herald Sun
Probe looms for ecstasy testers
Jason Frenkel
07dec05

A MELBOURNE organisation that tests ecstasy tablets at raves could face a Federal Government inquiry over its funding.

The Enlighten Harm Reduction group has been testing pills at Melbourne dance parties for about five years.

Using a mobile tester that it says shows the contents of ecstasy tablets, Enlighten says it is reducing the chances of a drug user overdosing.

Parliamentary health secretary Chris Pyne says it sends mixed messages to young people about drugs.

In a letter to Enlighten spokesman Johnboy Davidson, Mr Pyne said drug makers and dealers could be exploiting Enlighten to help distribute illicit drugs.

Mr Pyne has demanded the group reveal its funding sources and explain the protocols of its drug testing process.

Mr Davidson told the Herald Sun yesterday private donors funded the group's activities.

Accusing Mr Pyne of engaging in "lazy politics," he said the Government should support pill testing to cut drug-related harm.

"It's a public health issue and we're trying to reduce harm," Mr Davidson said.

Pill-testing was considered and rejected by the joint federal-state Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy this year.

Article is here: http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17485968%5E2862,00.html

 

[Cowboy Mac]

There is more to come on this. JB is doing the media rounds and will be on Triple J's 'Hack' tonight, updates to come.

 

[aunty establishment]

I'm very proud of you JB I haven't had the time to listen to all the interviews/read the coverage yet (what with being overseas and all) but my boyfriend's been keeping me posted and said you kicked some serious parliamentary booty. Top work.

ruski - please no more penis rubbing analogies, political or otherwise !

 

[johnboy]

There is no probe. Christopher sent us a letter asking us where we got our funding from. It included such sleazy insinuations as

While I recognise that some individuals might use the drug testing kits you supply in an effort to protect themselves, there exists some concern that other individuals might exploit the kits to test illicit substances they plan to distribute. These same individuals may well have a considered interest in the continuing financial viability of your operation. This must be an enormous concern for an organisation committed to reducing the damage done by illicit substances.

and

Is Enlightened Harm Reduction aware of having inadvertently supplied an individual or group suspected of having an association with the sale of illicit drugs with drugtesting kits?

How can anyone be "aware" of "inadvertently" doing anything? He also asked if we received funding from State governments. Just goes to show how well the relationship between the States and the Federal government is if he doesn't even know the answer to that. (It is no, by the way, we get no governmenr funding whatsoever)

Anyways, I was going to ignore this letter for the moment as I thought it was private correspondance but it turns out that Christopher sent copies of this to every right wing journo he knows. I received phonecalls from The Adelaide Advertiser, The Herald Sun and The Australian. Can you spot the common link there?

So what was supposed to be a private letter from him to me was just a media stunt. Quelle supris. This morning I went head to head with him again on ABC radio, this time on the local Adelaide station. Needless to say he looked stupid again, and when I say stupid I am only quoting the 50 year old guy who rang up to support us, as did every caller I heard. I will try and get a recording of this up as soon as possible.

I made the point on air that far from us being funded by drug dealers, many of our donations come from health care workers who are sick of picking up the pieces of what happens when zero tolerance is put into action. Pyne is sending a message with the dead bodies of our youth, and the people who have to tell their parents have had enough.

I'll probably be on Hack tonight to vent a bit more.

 

[aunty establishment]

The message should have been clear to them: if you take synthetic drugs, you do not know what is in them and you could do yourself dramatic damage.

Sheesh, in terms of poor ovation skills, this guy's right up there with Pauline Hanson. First he says that telling people what's in their pills is bad, because it implies they're safe - then, in the next breath, he's saying that *not* knowing what's in them is dangerous. What a plonker.

Hmm, I feel a new defamatory avatar coming on (reminicent of my "Major Watters - Major Wanker" one)

Meanwhile JB, when are *you* gonna go into politics? It'd be nice to hear someone cogent during Question Time for once

 

[Bent Mk2]

if you take synthetic drugs, you do not know what is in them and you could do yourself dramatic damage.

So does that mean he supports drug use if its a natural high?

Well done JB and Enlighten Crew, your work is certainly appreciated. I personally know of a couple of kids who didn't swallow something because of the results you gave.

 

[Fin_heaven]

Ha ha. what a friggen joke this government has become. Mr Pyne sounds like your typical politician. After the votes of the majority (we live in an ageing country that havent grown up with E culture), while ass fucking our futures by calling us criminals and the like.

I think i speak for everyone when i congratulate Enlighten and any other HR group for their continued support of our health. Be strong and keep fighting for it is a just cause.

fcuk in heaven

 

[Immortal Teknique]

Deleted: article already posted

 

[Munkee Fu Fu]

nice work on the radio johnboy!!! can't believe the tactics, totally crazy. i have been letting people know to track down the podcast, especially the ravers who were there and making the most noise about the lack of groups like enlighten, and the totally crazy number of cops there at the rave.. (that being said, sounded like the cops were for show, a lot of em were even walking wit glowsticks n nodding heads to music )

 

[johnboy]

Check out how much more slanted this version from the Adelaide Advertiser is:

Drug test inquiry

SOUTH Australian Liberal MP Christopher Pyne is stepping up his crusade against illicit drug use.

He launched an inquiry yesterday into an organisation handing out drug-testing kits to so-called ravers.

Enlighten Harm Reduction has operated its pill-testing service for partygoers. In a wider campaign pushing to re-criminalise cannabis, Mr Pyne, the parliamentary secretary for health, has asked EHR to brief the Government on its activities. Mr Pyne has requested that the Melbourne-based group give a funding breakdown, including all donors.

http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17487553%5E911,00.html

 

[NickyJ]

So what was supposed to be a private letter from him to me was just a media stunt. Quelle supris. This morning I went head to head with him again on ABC radio, this time on the local Adelaide station. Needless to say he looked stupid again, and when I say stupid I am only quoting the 50 year old guy who rang up to support us, as did every caller I heard. I will try and get a recording of this up as soon as possible.

I would really like to hear that :D



Thanks again for all your hard work JB, you're doing a great job :D

 

[bikki_muncher69]

Just listened to the JJJ interveiw then, payne is such a fucking weasle he is so brainwashed himself by his own governments "tough on drugs" stratigy that he fails to see the truth. Even when JB showed stats that there has been a 4%increase in the consumption of XTC he failed to accept that the tough on drugs campain isnt working and no matter how much money they are throwing at it, people are still going to see right through it. I'm sure if 12 million dollars was put into funding enlighten there would definatly be a drastic decrease in the number of people hospitalised due to XTC and the masses al supporting harm reduction. Im sick of politicians telling the greater public they know everything that goes on at rave's and everything about the drug XTC. If we put our harm minimisation and anti drugs campain into the hands of groups such as enlighten who have pleanty of experience of raves and are more educated about the effects of XTC that more people who are taking the drug will trust what harm reduction groups say rather than the bullshit the government pumps out. Even after a doctor has come forward and explained how it would benifit users hospital staff and the wider community he blatently knocks it back being the arrogant fuck he is. Sorry for my laungage but hearing that report really got me fired up because I like many of you very strongly beleive in harm reduction. Keep up the good work JB you did an exelent job in that interveiw and will hope to hear more of the ABC interveiw.

 

[Fin_heaven]

In my opinion and experience with conservative voters and pollies, they will argue their often misguided point of view until they run out of air in their lungs. They do not give a shit about what other people think or know and will not budge once they have a belief firmly implanted in their mind.

I once tried to have a debate about smoking cannabis to a labour brainwashed junior party member. It was like talking to a brick wall. His only arguement was it kills people, fucks up everyones brain and destroys families. he actually became quite concerned about my use. I ended up having to lie to him so as just to get him off my back. He actually thought i was capable of robbing people just to "get another hit". What a joke. Sounds like Mr Pyne's been listening to too many L Ron Hubbards.

fuck in heaven

 

[aunty establishment]

Check out how much more slanted this version from the Adelaide Advertiser is:

IMO the Adelaide Advertiser is the worst of all the Australian newspapers for biased, tabloid-style reporting, and I'm including the Herald Scum and the Sunday Times (WA) in that.

Yeah, it's a crusade alright. Perhaps the "so-called" journalist should crack open Wikipedia and read up on the origin of the term

 

[TheYellowDart]

There is more to come on this. JB is doing the media rounds and will be on Triple J's 'Hack' tonight, updates to come.

Can now be found here.

 

[Ernestrome]

On what charge would the police arrest pill testers on?

 

[aunty establishment]

Possession.

 

[johnboy]

to quote directly from the South Australia Police:

People conducting pill testing without a research permit from the Minister for Health pursuant to Section 53 of the Controlled Substances Act1984, may be subject to prosecution for breaches of the Controlled Substance Act 1984, and such a permit should be sought prior to engaging in pill testing activity.

Action will be taken by police should they discover evidence of criminal offences arising from pill testing without such a permit at this or other events.

which is fair enough. I have nothing against the cops. I'd much prefer to be working with them than against them, and that is starting to happen.

I finally got a copy of this article from the Daily Telegraph, which I pretty sure is the one that sent Christopher off the deep end, as it was that morning that we received that threatening letter, and it was the journo who wrote it that was the first one to have it faxed to her.

Maintaining the rave on testing of party drugs

By KATE MURRAY

THE overdose of four people who took a mystery green pill at a rave party has sparked a debate on the benefits of testing illegal drugs for harmful substances before people take them.

The victims ended up in hospital after taking pills at the Summer Enchanted Rave in Adelaide last Saturday night. Doctors said they had no idea of the pills’ content and that one woman who overdosed only took half a tablet.

Harm minimisation group Enlighten says the overdoses could have been prevented if it had been allowed to test pills and tell users what they contained. Enlighten tested pills at the Winter Enchanted Rave in July, but police warned them off about doing the same at last weekend’s rave.

‘‘We were instructed not to test and then these problems occur,’’ Enlighten founder John Davidson said. ‘‘Actions by our group could have prevented these overdoses.’’

Davidson said Enlighten has just bought a new ion mobility scanner, which will let the group scan pills and identify what they contain in seconds.

The Federal Government is holding a hard line on pill testing and other harm minimisation measures, arguing that demand reduction is more useful than harm minimisation. Parliamentary secretary for Health Christopher Pyne says that there is no evidence pill testing leads to a reduction in the problems caused by drugs.

‘‘Pill testers think they are providing a service the Government thinks they are acting illegally. We’re not going to meet on that,’’ he said. ‘‘We have a tough-on drugs policy and we will not be allowing them to test people’s drugs and hand them back.’’

Davidson points to research showing that ecstasy users who test their pills use less than they would otherwise.

‘‘If [the Government] spends $12 million telling people not to take ecstasy, and there’s a four-fold increase in ecstasy use in (the last) 10 years, that’s not my fault,’’ Davidson said.

Sydney St Vincent’s Hospital emergency department head Gordian Fulde supports pill testing at rave parties and festivals.

‘‘Anything that prevents these patients becoming ill or coming into emergency departments is a good thing,’’ he says.‘‘It comes down to the classic debate between people who have strong feelings about zero tolerance and people who believe in harm minimisation.’’

Davidson admits his group is acting illegally when it tests pills but argues it shouldn’t have to be.

There is no pill testing at Sydney’s major summer music festivals. Davidson said the organisers of events such as the Big Day Out, to be held at Homebush on Australia Day, prefer not to be associated with harm reduction activities such as pill testing.

(no link. this was taken from a scan of the paper article)