Should pill testing be available to drug users in Australia?
Video clip at right: On January 14, 2024, 7News Australia televised a report detailing calls for the Victorian government to introduce pill testing after ten festival attenders suffered drug overdoses over the preceding eight days. The Victorian government continues to reject the proposal.
The Issue at a Glance
What they said...If people are concerned about substances, don't consume it...That's the way to stay out of hospital.'
Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, commenting on recent drugs-related hospitalisations.
'A drug-checking service would have at least created the opportunity... to receive tailored harm reduction information.'
Victorian coroner, John Cain, recommending pill testing following the drug-related death of a man in 2022.
The issue at a glance
On January 8, 2024, it was reported that nine people were hospitalised (eight in induced comas) following the Hardmission electronic music festival in Melbourne. They were suspected to be suffering MAMD overdoses.
On October 1, 2023, it was announced that two men had died, and ten others had been taken to hospital after attending the Knockout Outdoor festival in Sydney. The two deaths were believed to be the result of drug overdoses.
On February 23, 2023, it was announced that Queensland would operate two fixed-site drug-checking services and a mobile service for events such as music festivals and sporting events. A least some of these services were intended to open in the second half of 2023.
In July 2022, the ACT government launched Australia's first fixed-site health and drug checking service as a six-month pilot. The service has now been extended to December 2024.
The recent hospitalisations and deaths have provoked several organisations to call for pill testing trials in Victoria, New South Wales, and other Australian jurisdictions.
Similar demands have been made previously, after earlier drug-related deaths incidents following festivals in New South Wales and Victoria.State and territory governments have been reluctant to introduce pill testing either temporarily or at permanent fixed locations. The debate surrounding the harm minimization strategy continues.