FOTSUN headliner Illy calls for festival drug testing

Hip hop artist Illy, known to his mum as Alistair David George Murray, admits to not being a "politician or an authority".

"But I feel like a speak for a lot of people who go to festivals, and a lot of young people," he said.

He was critical of views expressed by police, including Deputy Premier Troy Grant, that zero-tolerance is the only option.

"I understand the argument that you can't be seen to condone drugs, but I think that's a matter of perspective," the artist said.

"Zero-tolerance doesn't work.

"It didn't work during prohibition and it definitely hasn't worked in the war on drugs.

"It's unrealistic to say 'don't do it and then there's no problem'. The reality is young people experiment, it happens."

He said it was "exasperating" that he and others were "continuing to say the same thing".

"It's easy to despair about it, particularly when two people have died in

such a short space of time."

He isn't alone in his views.

Website Music Feeds this week asked more than 10,000 people if Australian music festivals should implement drug testing.

Nearly 84 per cent of respondents replied in the affirmative.

"I think when the reality is it's gotten to the point now where kids are dying, it's somewhere closing in on negligence," Illy said.

He also said it was a "false equivalency" to compare those using drugs.

"People who are smoking a joint or taking a pill shouldn't be compared to people getting around on ice or heroin."

The argument over who should pay for the testing was "really flimsy".

"It assumes that what young people care about is less important than older people," the artist said. "If there is the political willpower to make the change, they will make it happen.

"And I don't think a punter would mind paying $5 more for a ticket if they could take something they knew wasn't rat poison.

"They shouldn't have to die when there are ways to prevent it."

Illy closes FOTSUN Saturday at 8.45pm.