After getting the green light to host Australia’s second-ever pill testing trial, a team of peer-based harm reduction workers, and chemists went along to this year’s Groovin The Moo.

Before this year’s testing began, the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr told ABC News they were "keen for this approach to continue on the basis of the success of the first trial and the failure of policy over many decades now to address harm minimisation adequately."

The 2019 program went ahead with the support of Groovin the Moo promoters and the ACT Government. Out of about 20,000 attendees the service tested 170 substances for 234 punters and found mostly MDMA. Other substances found were cocaine, ketamine and methamphetamine.

The pill testers identified “seven dangerous substances containing N-ethyl pentylone” and were able to educate patrons to the dangers of the substance: “On learning about the potential harms from the substances they possessed, all patrons used the amnesty bin to discard them.”

The report continued: “The service was very well-received by patrons with many providing feedback that they would change their behaviour by reconsidering or taking less of the substances they had in their possession.”

Whilst the ACT is currently the only jurisdiction in Australia to allow pill-testing, representatives from other states and territories visited the facility. Ultimately the report found they were able to “Successfully provide a pill testing service without incident in a festival environment.”

They recommend "all other Australian State and Territory governments give further considerations to accepting Pill Testing Australia’s offer of one free pill testing pilot to assess the suitability of pill testing services at all festivals in their jurisdictions."

You can read the full report here, which includes how the process actually works and all the conclusions they reached.