2024-03-15
The Victorian Greens have said the new Premier can no longer ignore the mounting pressure in favour of pill testing, following the release of new coronial recommendations.
Overnight two Victorian coroners released new recommendations that the Victorian Labor Government trial a pill testing service, following two independent coronial investigations.
This follows several previous coronial recommendations for the harm reduction measure.
Victorian Greens drug harm reduction spokesperson, Aiv Puglielli, said overdose-related hospitalisations and deaths at music festivals will continue while the new Premier sits idle.
He added that as more and more experts backed pill testing, and with increasing internal support for the harm reduction measure within the Labor Government benches, it has become clear that this is a matter of courage and leadership for the new Premier to get it done.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens drug harm reduction spokesperson, Aiv Puglielli MLC:
"While untested pills masquerading as party drugs like MDMA continue to circulate in the community, young people will be at risk of drug-related overdose and death.
“The new Premier has previously indicated she’s considering pill testing, but with every day she delays action, more and more young people are being put at risk.
“How much more evidence, how much more expert advice does this Labor Government need to get on with testing the damn pills?”