State and territory leaders will face a national campaign calling for pill-testing led by young people, the group that might argue it has the most to lose from governments baulking at the idea.
A day after the New South Wales coroner announced it would investigate five recent deaths at music festivals, Students for Sensible Drug Policy Australia will launch the Be Heard Not Harmed campaign at Melbourne's Revolver nightclub.
"Young people are going to be the ones to make this change happen," said Nick Kent, the national director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. "We're going around in circles with this debate and it's remarkable to hear people talking about it whilst excluding those who are most affected."
Campaigners, who have joined forces with the peer-led harm reduction service Dancewize, plan to mobilise young festival-goers as well as student unions, event organisers and other industry groups to build the case for change in the community.
Kent helped lead a campaign for the University of Melbourne's student union to provide free pill-testing kits to students.
