09/03/2026
Drug checking is increasingly becoming part of the global conversation around drug safety and harm reduction.
New South Wales, Australia, recently announced that it will continue drug checking at up to 15 music festivals each year following a 12-month trial. Nearly 1,500 samples were analyzed, with unexpected substances identified in 8% of samples and high-dose M**A found in more than 4% of the M**A tablets and capsules tested.
The approach may be different from country to country, but the underlying challenge is the same: knowing what a substance actually is matters.
As the illicit drug supply becomes more unpredictable, rapid chemical identification and quantitative information can help reduce uncertainty at the point of need. And when those individual results are connected, they can also provide a clearer picture of what drugs are circulating, where they are appearing, and how the market is changing.
At 908 Devices, we build technologies like NIRLab to put that information closer to the people who need to make decisions, whether the mission is drug enforcement, public safety, public health, or harm reduction.
Read the story: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/02/nsw-government-to-resume-pill-testing-at-music-festivals-but-rejects-calls-for-wider-community-rollout
