The Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Act 2021 has made it easier for drug testers to operate at festivals. But there's more work to be done to ensure young people remain safe, advocates say.
New Zealand has enshrined protections for drug checking in the law, in what advocates say is a world first.
The country’s new law to protect pill testing where organizations chemically test illicit drugs to monitor for dangerous contaminants has been voted in by the government and is expected to pass into law next week.
“We’re the first country to specifically make legislation to protect drug checking,” said Wendy Allison, the managing director of drug-checking organization KnowYourStuffNZ.
While countries such as Portugal and the Netherlands have long-standing drug-checking services, many operate in a legal gray zone, Allison said.
However, New Zealand’s laws would