While that sentence above was in jest, I appreciate all the feedback they get and I’ve been genuinely surprised at the positive comment I get from people out and about on them.

So with that in mind, buckle up, because this opinion piece might reverse all of that.

Pill testing.

Let’s be real here, people have been doing drugs for literally thousands of years, ever since the Mesopotamians used opium for a myriad of uses, humans have liked to push the boundaries of the mind and nature as far as they can go, to varying results.

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So why is it such a surprise to some people that kids and adults are – shock horror – doing drugs still.

What’s frustrating is the hypocrisy of a large group of these people out there saying ‘let them die’ or ‘just don’t do drugs’ like they’ve never experimented in their lives, are we to believe the 60s and 70s never happened?

‘I would never take drugs!’ you might say in retort, but it’s tough to listen when you’re likely reading this with a coffee on your desk full of caffeine or maybe even a half-empty bottle of wine waiting to be emptied.

A key difference is one kind is legal and the other isn’t.

None of us were around for prohibition but we know the stories, prohibition even gave us Nascar after the moonshine runners started modifying their cars.

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Now imagine if alcohol was illegal again, because let’s face it. Far more people die from alcohol-related illnesses every year than taking pingas at a festival, it’s also a factor in violent assault, sexual crimes and countless motor vehicle accidents.

So why is it legal again? Because it’s the culture, it’s so ingrained that the mere suggestion of a ban would cause riot.

But of course since it is legal, we have checks and balances in place to stop you purchasing something that could kill you, but you can still go ahead right now and drink yourself into oblivion with all the freely available alcohol you like.

So why not the same with pills?

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I’m saying that people will always take drugs, there’s never been a time they haven’t and we know in other places where pill-testing is implemented it can and will save lives, so what’s the excuse again?

At various times in history, caffeine has been illegal and cocaine has been widely available to the public.

So get off your high-horse and realise that you were young once too, let’s show some empathy and help protect people that might otherwise make a terrible mistake.