By Lucy Waldron and Jeremy Cook
The Rabbits Eat Lettuce (REL) festival hosted at Cherrabah Resort outside of Warwick will be the first festival in Queensland to hold pill testing and drug checking services to help festival goers make informed decisions.
After experiencing the tragic loss of two attendees in 2019, the REL Festival was put on hold until now, with organisers implementing these services to enhance the safety of all participants.
The director and production manager, Erik Lamir said the on-site testing services are for those who do choose to take drugs can make informed decisions on what they are putting into their bodies.
“We aim to empower patrons to make informed decisions about their well-being and what they may choose to put in their body,” Mr Lamir said.
“Additional to that, we as a festival promote a healthy lifestyle by providing a holistic spectrum of entertainment through activities and workshops.
“And education-based experiences to encourage people to enjoy the event without the need for drugs or alcohol.”
The Queensland Government is delivering on its commitment to reduce the risks and harms associated with illicit drug use by rolling out its free, voluntary, and confidential pill testing service.
Nearly $1 million will be invested to roll out the service, allowing Queenslanders to take substances they intend to use to an appropriately qualified chemist for chemical testing.
The Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Service Shannon Fentiman said the services are all about harm minimisation.
“We don’t want people ending up in our emergency departments – or worse losing their life,” Ms Fentiman said.
“They aim to make people aware of the dangers of taking illicit substances, influence behaviour and ideally, reduce their use of substances.”
Warwick Acting Police Inspector Jamie Deacon said the addition of pill testing would not change how police approach the festival.
“We’re not going to be sitting there at the entrance to the pill testing, that’s counterproductive to what we want to achieve. We want our patrons to be safe and not have any fatalities,” A/Insp Deacon said.
“Nothing really changes for us, drugs are still unlawful and illegal.”
Acting Inspector Deacon said police would work with festival organisers to ensure the safety of patrons.
“We certainly don’t want to stop people having fun, we want people to do that responsibly,” he said.
“We don’t want people to take drugs, but Queensland Health have made the decision and it’s a government decision to put pill testing in.
The Queensland Government’s announcement comes following an open market tender process undertaken by Queensland Health, where two providers with extensive experience in the sector were chosen to deliver the state-funded fixed site and event-based pill testing services.
A partnership between the Queensland Injectors Health Network, The Loop Australia and the Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action will serve as one provider to deliver fixed site services at two locations in south-east Queensland, and at least one festival-based service in 2024.
The Pill Testing Australia team are looking forward to delivering Queensland’s first pill testing/ drug checking service at REL.
“This marks an important milestone in the ongoing efforts of Queensland to reduce drug-related harms, and we know the patrons of the festival and their families and friends will greatly appreciate the availability of this vital public health service,” a Pill Testing Australia spokesperson said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action (QuIVAA) Inc., Emma Kill said the drug-checking service provides timely and relevant information and is a commonsense harm reduction approach successfully used all over the world.
“It surpasses substance testing; we’re equipping individuals with the means to make informed decisions about their drug use,” Ms Kill said.
“By providing accurate information and fostering a sense of responsibility, we’re not just reshaping choices – we’re saving lives and constructing safer, more resilient communities.”
Despite the Queensland Government supporting the festival by providing these services and the Southern Downs Regional Council giving it the go-ahead after its ban in 2019, some local residents are not happy with it on their doorstep again.
Stuart Bell, a resident near Cherrabah said while the government are looking at making the festival safer with drug testing, that is not the main issue residents want rectified.
“The problem is the noise pollution it creates,” Mr Bell said.
“It is affecting my business, Easter is when we have a campground full of tourists that come here to view what the region has to offer and then they’ve had to leave because of the noise.
“Four days and four nights of noise pollution is beyond any appropriate amount for our community and this should’ve been considered.”
The Southern Downs Regional Council CEO Dave Burges said extensive consultation has been undertaken by the event organisers with landholders, emergency services and the Queensland Police Service over an extended period of time.
“Council has not been involved in the event organisation however Council is the approving body under our relevant Local Law,” Mr Burges said.
“Extensive conditions have been included in the approval to mitigate many issues including the issues raised by landholders.”
The Rabbits Eat Lettuce Festival will continue to go ahead as planned from 28 March to 1 April and will be the first Queensland Festival to include pill testing to create a safer environment for its patrons.
