What did the Victorian coroner find regarding festival security?

The coroner found that police, security guards, bag searches, and sniffer dogs at music festivals may lead to riskier drug use and greater harms.

What led to the coroner's recommendations about drug harm reduction?

The recommendations followed the death of 28-year-old Trang Thi Thu Le at the Marlo Altitude festival in 2023, who died after consuming MDMA and ketamine.

What is the significance of pill testing trials according to the coroner?

The coroner described the pill testing trials as a vital part of the state's harm reduction strategy, associated with people using reduced drug doses and disposing of dangerous drugs.

Home / Health / Coroner: Festival Security Risks Safer Drug Use

Coroner: Festival Security Risks Safer Drug Use

28 Jan

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Summary

Police and security may increase drug use risks, says coroner.
A 28-year-old woman died after consuming MDMA and ketamine.
Pill testing trials are vital for harm reduction, coroner found.

Coroner: Festival Security Risks Safer Drug Use

A recent inquest into the death of 28-year-old Trang Thi Thu Le has led to a significant recommendation from a Victorian coroner: stricter festival security measures like police presence, bag searches, and sniffer dogs may paradoxically increase the risks associated with drug use and lead to greater harms. Le tragically died in September 2023 after consuming MDMA and ketamine at the Marlo Altitude music festival. Despite immediate medical attention, she suffered cardiac arrest and passed away on her birthday.

Coroner Ingrid Giles has called for an urgent update to Victoria's drug harm reduction guidance for event organizers, noting the current code of practice has not been revised since 2013. Giles emphasized that punitive measures alone do not reduce drug use or related harms. The coroner also commended Victoria's pill testing trials as a crucial harm reduction strategy, citing evidence that such services encourage reduced drug dosages and the disposal of potentially dangerous substances. The findings stem from an investigation into 18 drug overdose deaths at Victorian music events between 2000 and 2024.