Police abandon drug bins - sniffer dogs at Big Day Out

[Chiral]

Source

WA's drug amnesty bin experiment appears to be over, with police recruiting sniffer dogs for a zero-tolerance approach to Sunday's Big Day Out music festival in Perth.

Amnesty bins were introduced to WA festivals after the ecstacy overdose death of 17-year-old Gemma Thoms at last year's Perth Big Day Out.

Gemma collapsed after taking three ecstasy pills on the way in because she was frightened about police sniffer dogs catching her with drugs.

Police today all but admitted their drug amnesty trial had failed, with only a handful of drugs handed in last year, and no amnesty bins outside the Big Day Out venue at Claremont Showgrounds this year.

``There will be no drug bins at this event,'' WA Police spokesman Inspector John Lindley told reporters on Thursday.

``The Big Day Out will be policed with a no-tolerance approach to both drugs and anti-social behaviour.

``We certainly will be policing the issue of drugs by using drug-detection dogs on the day.''

Insp Lindley said police had been in contact with Peta Thoms, the mother of Gemma, who will be at this weekend's event on the first anniversary of her daughter's death to deliver an anti-drugs message to young festival-goers.

Mrs Thoms will stand at the main gate of the venue handing out fliers warning of the dangers of drug abuse.

``Obviously it's going to be a very difficult day for her,'' Insp Lindley said.

About 40,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will feature top-name Australian and international performers.

Insp Lindley said WA police were expected to make only a handful of arrests for mainly drug-related crimes at this weekend's event, in contrast to the 381 arrests at the Sydney Big Day Out last Sunday.

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[ref1ect1ons]

sounds like they manipulated the grief of a grieving mother to twist their own agenda

[lofty86]

its a shame that poor girl died last year, if the police are going to have dogs present an amnesty bin should be mandatory at all major events. the young poeple attending this event should have the opt out to come clean without fear of destroying there lives with a drug conviction (at least for there first offence)its a much safer option than freaking out and dropping 7 pills.

i also think its quite sad this girl thought it was safer to risk an OD than to face the police. but with my own personall experience with police interactions as a young person i can see were she was comming from. as a homless youth i was often threatend and physically assualted by the police for as little as being in the park at night sniffing a can of spraypaint

[ThunderIdeal]

dear police

your enforcement of drug prohibition is the main reason that relatively safe drugs are substituted with relatively dangerous drugs, and the reason that Gemma risked overdosing by consuming her entire supply at once. it is the reason we don't know what we're consuming, or how much, and the reason that harm reduction techniques aren't openly shared amongst consumers of drugs.

please open your eyes and reconsider.

[kenny]

amen

[Neoshaman]

amen

 

when the world accept that the use of such substances is only human nature then we shall make some progress, this years BDO was a complete farce they even banned HHH , ogh well I bet alcohol sales along with violence were through the roof this year

[mr me]

"Illegal drugs" bring no tax revenue to the government. Lots of profits to be made and the government doesn't like competition.