A grieving mother turned accidental advocate says NSW must catch up with other states in implementing a pill testing program, unanimously declaring: ‘It will save lives’.
It’s been over four years since New South Wales resident Jennie Ross-King lost her 19-year-old daughter Alex after overdosing on three MDMA capsules at the FOMO music festival in Parramatta.
During a 2019 inquest into deaths at music festivals in Sydney, it was revealed that Alex had told friends she had unknowingly taken the fatal dose before entering the event because she was afraid of being caught by police.
Mrs Ross-King, who says she is not pro-drug and has never used illegal drugs, believes her daughter’s death could have been prevented if she had been better informed and given information about the symptoms of overdose and about the dangers of mixing MDMA and alcohol.
It’s one of the reasons she advocates for drug testing services, better known as pill testing, where users can freely and legally have their substances tested for composition, purity and, in some cases, potency, before meeting with a medical professional trained in harm minimization and risk.
“What better time to have a conversation with a medical expert than when he or she has a pill in hand,” Ross-King told NewsWire.
“It’s when a young person actually stops and asks, ‘Wait a minute, is this going to hurt me, and if it could, what can I do about it?’
‘There were screenshots on her phone of the symptoms of an MDMA overdose, such as overheating and dizziness. But that is not the same as getting that information from someone who is reliable and wears a lab coat.’
Grieving mother turned accidental advocate Jennie Ross-King (right) says NSW must catch up with other states in implementing pill testing program
Alex’s death also highlighted how little Mrs Ross-King herself knew about drugs, meaning she was unable to have conversations about risk management and what to do if she overdosed.
‘There is little I regret in my life, but I really wish I had taken drugs when I was young. Then I would have had a little more experience, knowledge and credibility so that Alex could have come and talked to me about it,” she says.
‘I wish I had told her that. Then we could have explored it together, talked about the possible consequences and what to do if something went wrong.
“The conversation I had with Alex (about drugs) would look very different today, with the information I know now.”
Ms Ross-King’s comments come after Victoria Premier Jacinta Allen suddenly announced that free and legal mobile drug testing will be carried out at 10 locations during the summer festival period. A permanent facility should be operational from mid-2025.
In April this year, Queensland also opened a permanent location in Bowen Hills, a suburb of Brisbane CBD, following the success of ACT’s CanTEST program which launched in 2022.
In light of Victoria’s change of heart – a state that has also historically opposed drug control – advocates have put pressure on NSW Premier Chris Minns to also consider further reforms.
However, the Prime Minister has delayed further changes until after a promised drugs summit, the date of which has yet to be announced – much to the anger of community groups.
Ms Ross-King said she wished she and Alex could talk more freely about drugs
Cameron Francis, CEO of The Loop, says the Victorian government’s decision leaves NSW “on its own”.
The organization is conducting NSW’s first drug monitoring pilot at the Kings Cross Medical Supervised Injection Center (MSIC), as part of a research project with the University of New South Wales and the Bowen Hills site in Queensland.
“Drug testing is a very logical solution. It has been proven in Australia and many times abroad,” he says.
“I truly feel for the friends and families who have lost loved ones at festivals, or those who have lost loved ones to drugs. We should not wait for another major tragedy to make this policy a reality.”
Vocal drug reform campaigners Uniting NSW. Emma Maiden, ACT’s general manager of advocacy and external relations, says the organisation would offer its churches the opportunity to host community services.
“Before we know it, the summer festival season will be upon us and we need to take the time now to plan a really good response,” she said.
Ms Maiden made the point that Victoria and Queensland have made “common sense decisions” without “the need for a drug bust”.
“It was nice to hear the Premier of Victoria say that through drug testing, ‘if one life is saved, it’s worth it’ because that’s what we’ve always said.
During a 2019 investigation into deaths at music festivals in Sydney, it was revealed that Alex (pictured) had told her friends she had unknowingly taken the fatal dose before taking part in the event because she was afraid of being caught by police.
‘Ms Allan didn’t need a drugs stop because the reality is the evidence is there and the truth is if one life is saved it will be worth it.
“We hope the NSW Government looks at the evidence and does not have to wait for a trial to implement sensible, evidence-based policies.”
When asked for comment, Mr Minns did not respond to direct questions about whether NSW would consider action on drug testing. Historically, however, he has never ruled out possible reform.
He also declined to say when the state would announce a drug ban.
“The biggest issue facing families in NSW right now is the cost of living. That has to be the focus of this government,” he said.
“The funding is in the budget, and as soon as we can announce details, we will.”
Health Minister Ryan Park said planning for the summit was well underway.
“I can assure the community that this summit is fully funded and we are working hard to ensure we get it right,” he said.
