Alex Ross-King’s Family Want To Meet With Gladys Berejiklian Over Pill-Testing

The family of a teenager who died at FOMO music festival over the weekend will ask for a meeting with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to discuss pill-testing.

19-year-old Alex Ross-King died on Saturday after taking a substance believed to be MDMA, making her the fifth young person to die after consuming drugs at a NSW music festival in the past six months. In a statement released late on Tuesday, her family said they wanted to meet with Berejiklian to talk about how “harm reduction strategies” could prevent further deaths.

“We are deeply grieving the sudden loss of our beautiful girl Alex,” the statement reads. “We encourage the government to courageously take all active measures possible to reduce the risk, in particular, festival goers, through intensifying current initiatives as well as implementing other harm reduction strategies.”

“Pill testing is only one measure. There is no safe level of drug consumption BUT, it is an opportunity for intervention.”

“We will in due course request an audience with Premier Berejiklian to confer and exchange views.”

Berejiklian has remained steadfast in her opposition to pill-testing, despite the fact that the Australian Medical Association, festival organisers and a majority of voters support it.

“The best message we can send is that these substances, MDMA, can kill you,” she insisted on Sunrise earlier this week. “Do not take these drugs.”

NSW Opposition leader Michael Daley, for his part, has said he would “listen to the experts” if he wins the state election later this year.

Meanwhile, thousands of people are expected to march on Sydney Town Hall this Saturday to express their support for pill-testing. You can find information about that here.

The family of Alex Ross-King have spoken about the sad loss of their daughter at the FOMO dance festival. @10NewsFirstSyd@10Daily pic.twitter.com/cQv2BLSoJw

— Steve Hart (@SteveHart10News) January 15, 2019

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h/t Ten Daily