Pill testing will undergo trials in Victoria as drug overdoses cause worry in government

ABC NEWS (Australia)

After years of debate, pill testing will finally get underway at a music festival in Melbourne’s west this weekend. It’s part of the Victorian government’s 18-month trial that’s aimed at reducing harm and saving lives.

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00:00Illegal substances put to the test to prevent drug overdoses at festivals in Victoria.

00:10I definitely feel safer that I can test what I'm taking.

00:13Analysing most drugs for potentially life-threatening substances like synthetic opioids,

00:19followed by a consult with an expert.

00:22I think it's good, but the coppers are a little worrying.

00:26It is not illegal to access pill testing here at the festival.

00:33There'll be five machines staffed by 16 people per shift,

00:37and the process will take up about 30 minutes.

00:41The drug marketplace is more and more unpredictable day by day,

00:44and so this is a really important intervention.

00:47BTV is the first of 10 festivals to take part in the 18-month-long trial,

00:52with a fixed testing site also planned for mid-next year.

00:57Drug checking has already been trialled in Queensland and the ACT,

01:01where one in 10 people discarded their drugs after testing.

01:06We're beginning to see the real value of drug checking services here.

01:09But not everyone agrees.

01:11I don't think the taxpayers of Victoria need to pick up the bill for drug testing of an illegal substance.

01:18More drug overdoses were recorded at festivals in Victoria in the first three months of this year

01:23than during all of last year.

01:25In early January, eight people were in a critical condition

01:28after a suspected drug overdose at Hard Mission Festival,

01:32prompting the Victorian government to act.

01:34It will actually bring to light what's going on in the drug market,

01:38and that will be important not just to individuals, but to government.

01:43New hopes for a new strategy.

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