Victoria to undertake pill-testing trial this summer

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Victoria will become the third Australian jurisdiction to introduce pill testing, with Premier Jacinta Allan announcing a trial will be launched in the state this summer.

Transcript

00:00After years of debate, Victoria will have pill testing for illicit drugs.

00:05Now this may be a trial but it will remain permanent.

00:09This is an implementation trial to see which model works best.

00:12Initially there will be 10 mobile vans going to festivals and events this summer and then

00:17for mid next year the government will set up a site, a fixed site somewhere in the inner

00:20city where people can take their drugs to be tested.

00:23Now all of this will be free for users, it will cost about $4 million and the government

00:27wants to work out which model of pill testing will work best.

00:31They've given it 18 months to work out which model to do best.

00:34They say that the evidence around the world is in that this does save lives and it is

00:38an effective tool to try and reduce overdoses.

00:41They also say it's an effective health solution because it allows health workers to talk to

00:46users about why they're taking drugs and what other potential solutions they could find.

00:52They found that in one case 90% of users hadn't even spoken to their GP privately about their

00:57drug use.

00:58So they think this could be a good intervention, a good method to have those conversations

01:02about actually reducing drug use.

01:04There has been some criticism from the police association who say this is not a panacea

01:09to drug use in Victoria, they say it may send the wrong message.

01:12The Premier was pretty clear though, she said this will not be a green light to decriminalising

01:17drugs, this is about trying to save some lives.

01:19She says as a parent she worries what happens when her kids get older and whether they'll

01:23be taking drugs and they want to make sure that it's safe.

01:25It's basically saying that the government is not naive, they know people are taking

01:29these drugs and they want to try and provide some sort of level of safety so people can

01:34make better informed choices.

01:36Like I said, it's not a green light, it's what the Premier had to say a short time ago.

01:40If young people are reaching out and asking for information, asking for information that

01:45will keep them safe, protect their health and we have that information to give to them

01:50then why on earth wouldn't we?

01:52This idea does have support from medical experts, we heard from St Vincent's Hospital

01:55this morning and other drug experts.

01:57It also has support of the upper house crossbench, the Greens, the Animal Justice Party, the

02:03Libertarian Party and the Legalised Cannabis Party will all ensure that this legislation

02:07needed to set up the pill testing trial will get through the Parliament.

02:12It's going to last 18 months trial but the government says it will be permanent.

02:15It's just working out what model is best.

02:18Is it mobile testing, is it a fixed site, is it a combination of those?

02:21The Premier Jacinda Ardern is committed to this and it passed Cabinet yesterday and the

02:25government says it will get done.

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