NSW Health trialled a music festival drug checking service at 12 NSW music festivals between March 2025 and February 2026. The University of Sydney was contracted to independently evaluate the trial.
The evaluators used a mixed-methods approach to understanding the system-level impacts of the drug checking trial, as well as assessing the costs of delivering the service.
The evaluation indicates that the drug checking trial reduced drug‑related harm. The trial reached people who had not previously accessed harm reduction services and complemented NSW’s existing drug surveillance and early warning systems.