Pill testing trial expands in Victoria
The Victorian Government has announced it will expand the state pill testing trial, with four more festivals set to implement the harm minimisation measure.
The harm reduction measure will be offered at the upcoming Hardmission Festival, Pitch Music and Arts Festival, March Ultra Music Festival and The Warehouse Project.
This follows the pill-testing trial at the recent Beyond the Valley Festival. Pill testing was introduced following the spike in drug-related harm last year with nine people critically unwell at Hardmission Festival all experiencing hyperthermia after using high-potency MDMA in a hot and humid environment and one death related to a suspected overdose at Pitch Music and Arts Festival.
Victorian Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt said, “Following a spike in drug harm last festival season, this service is more important than ever. It offers a sensible health-led approach that will save the lives of young Victorian festivalgoers.”
“The results from Beyond the Valley speak for themselves: pill testing does not encourage people to use drugs. It allows people to see what’s really in their substances and make informed health decisions.”
Associate Professor Arunogiri Associate Professor at Monash Addiction Research Centre and Acting Executive Clinical Director of Turning Point said, “It is fantastic to see the further expansion of the drug checking trial in Victoria. This evidence-based health measure will help keep more people safe and reduce illicit drug harms.
“The first festival trial at Beyond the Valley provided very encouraging data, consistent with research that shows drug checking often results in people discarding their drugs.
“With the increasing detection of dangerous substances such as nitazenes in the illicit drug supply, drug checking services can be a critical part of an early warning system. Making these measures more widely available is absolutely vital.”
