diver dan,
That drug testing at festivals is far from stupid. A lot of people were deterred from taking drugs when they found what was in them.

____________________________________________________________________________________

individual,
Ambulances are for everyone who need them, not just the normal people. Access to healthcare is a right not a privilege. If there's a charge, it's billed afterwards not upfront. That's the case whether or not someone's on drugs.

BTW your hypocrisy (criticising bureaucracy yet proposing more) and your lack of compassion indicate you're a psychopath rather than a normal person.

Everyone should get help when they need it, regardless of whether you think they deserve it. That way they can become "normal, tax-paying, responsible citizens".

Everyone should get help when they need it,

Below, just ust one of many incidences.

https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville-police-label-attack-on-paramedics-abhorrent/news-story/b17213781d7c2f7f2721a2b8eb0c930d

Not thinning out the numbers of drug abusers is exactly not helping their victims.
Being a do-gooder only makes the do-gooder feel warm'n fozzy, it's not doing any good to anyone else.
Judging by the way the violence based games are increasing in popularity shows a worrying irrational direction Millennials are heading.
It's unforgivable of our generation not to give them direction purely because of the insatiable greed of those who get paid handsomely by our tax dollars. Bureaucracy is a top predator.

Not sure how this topic was converted to talk about about drugs, ambulances and people being psychopaths because Aidan says so, and 'rights' to medical treatment. There are no such thing as 'rights' to medical treatment or any thing else. We have services and advantages IF we can afford them, or IF taxpayers can can help out in paying for those who can't afford them.

Millennials are unlikely to be any more into drugs than previous generations; many of the previous generations are under the influence of alcohol, the most popular drug if all, more often than not.

No Aiden, there is no right to medical treatment, particularly if the cause is self inflected.

I raced cars for a number of years, & I & my kids rode show jumpers. For clubs running such events it was becoming quite expensive to pay for an ambulance & medics to attend these things, & many were running less events due to the increasing cost.

Some members complained that ambulance attendance should be free, but the majority agreed, clubs should fund ambulance officers spending a day at venues. If we chose to indulge in activities more dangerous than watching TV or playing Tiddlywinks, there was no reason for the community to pick up our safety costs.

Even this was only acceptable as it was off duty officers, picking up some extra money that attended. It would not have been OK if it reduced the number of ambulances available for accidental emergencies. As for druggies, they should come last by a country mile.

The same should apply to drug use, dance parties & the like. In fact if a druggy is having a second call for overdose, & has not paid for any earlier call, it is the garbage wagon that should be called, not an ambulance.

Hasbeen,
There's a big difference between the right to medical treatment and the right to have it on standby for a particular purpose. I accept that we don't have the latter right in Australia even though the having an ambulance on standby is a requirement for some events.

Ambulances are for all who need them, not just those you deem worthy of treatment. Humans are not garbage - quite apart from the fact that failing to save those who haven't paid their bills ensures they'll never pay in future!
_____________________________________________________________________________________

individual,
Did you even read that Townsville bulletin report you linked to? It didn't even mention drugs!

Around the turn of the millennium there was a lot of concern about violence based games, but they don't seem to have resulted in more violence in real life. UIVMM the biggest link between crime and video games was a drop in the number of car thefts when Grand Theft Auto 3 was released, as the game was considered more fun than the real thing!

Bureaucracy restricting eligibility for treatment is the worst kind!

Heading back to the millennials, it's time to act to create a direction for them. Do-gooders are well advised to keep out of the picture because this needs to work.
Those millennials who are responsible enough to have work must be given the chance to become members of the part of society that works for the common good.
Those who find it difficult to find employment should be taken in by the armed forces for basic back-up & trade training, supply work & if they are capable or are interested in bettering themselves for the good of all then they MUST be given the opportunity to stay on until they find employment. In any case, staying on will only give them more chances to better themselves by way of being exposed to a group of people with a sense of responsibility.
This ball is in the present Government's court, the initiative for such a scheme can not be put off till "next term". Do it NOW, no excuses just do it ! This can work in with Centrelink & would make Centrelink be of proper use & help. This could pay social, economic & political dividends before the next federal election.