SNIFFER dogs should not be deployed at a Melbourne music festival this weekend, according to an Upper House MP. 

Sex Party member Fiona Patten has called on Premier Daniel Andrews and Police minister Wade Noonan to call off the canines at the Stereosonic Music Festival at the Melbourne Show grounds. 

The call comes after Sylvia Choi a 25-year-old qualified pharmacist, died on November 28 after taking ecstasy at Stereosonic at Sydney Olympic Park. 

A further 120 people were treated for the effects of drugs and nine were hospitalised, including a 22-year-old woman who was placed in an induced coma. 

Ms Patten warned dogs prompted festival goers to take larger quantities of drugs before arriving or buying from unknown people at the grounds. 

“All they do is encourage attendees to take multiple doses of drugs that they may have bought to the event to avoid detection and that is just plain dangerous,’’ she said. 

“A better solution would be to have no passive alert detection dogs at all and provide patrons with a safe way to test the substances they are considering consuming.’’ 

media_camera Police sniffer dogs at the 2014 festival. 

“The Premier should ‘call off the dogs’, if he wants to save lives,”. 

A Government spokesman said “the use of sniffer dogs is an operational matter for Victoria Police.’’ 

Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation President Dr Alex Wodak has argued drug checking devices should replace drug sniffer dogs which appear not to be working. 

“The use of drug dogs has been increasing, and while it’s been increasing, the proportion of young people carrying drugs has actually gone up,” said Dr Wodak. 

Stereosonic is expected to attract thousands of young festival goers with headline acts including Major Lazer and Peking Duk. 

alexandra.white@news.com.au