Sniffer dogs and bag searches can make drug danger at festivals more likely, Victorian coroner finds

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Melissa Davey Medical editorJanuary 28, 2026 at 03:02 AM

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A Victorian coroner's report found that police presence, including sniffer dogs and bag searches, at music festivals can inadvertently increase drug-related risks and harms. The findings stem from the 2023 death of a 28-year-old woman, Trang Thi Thu Le, who died after consuming MDMA and ketamine at the Marlo Altitude music festival held at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena. The coroner's report suggests that these security measures may lead individuals to engage in more dangerous drug use practices. As a result of the findings, the coroner recommended that the state urgently update its 2013 code of practice regarding drug use at festivals.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Melbourne 50% John Cain Arena 60% Ketamine 60% MDMA 70% Victoria 70% Marlo Altitude ×280% Trang Thi Thu Le 90%

Keywords

drug use 90% music festivals 80% sniffer dogs 70% bag searches 70% mdma 60% coroner's findings 60% drug harm reduction 50% ketamine 50% cardiac arrest 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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drug use music festivals sniffer dogs bag searches mdma coroner's findings drug harm reduction ketamine cardiac arrest

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