2024-02-26
The Victorian Greens have welcomed reports the Victorian Labor Government is preparing to support a pill testing trial, and say it will save lives during the next summer festival season.
The Greens have advocated for a trial for years, alongside public health experts, state coroners, and countless families that have lost their loved ones to drug-related overdoses.
However, according to reports, the Labor Government is considering a trial that would only allow Victorians to have pills tested at specific medical clinics, not at music festivals.
They are also reportedly planning to introduce this trial in lieu of a second medically supervised injecting centre, despite pill testing and supervised injecting representing two separate public health issues.
By looking to conflate pill testing with supervised injecting, the Labor Government is attempting to confuse the two issues, which shows contempt to the many Victorians struggling with addiction.
Victorian Greens drug harm reduction spokesperson, Aiv Puglielli, said after years of refusing to consider pill testing, the government’s reported shift was evidence pressure worked.
He said pill testing would help keep young people safe by putting them into contact with an alcohol and drug counsellor before taking a potentially lethal substance.
If this trial is announced, the Greens will continue to push the Labor Government to expand it to music festivals as well. The Greens will also continue to push the Labor Government to establish more medically supervised injecting rooms, including the long-promised Melbourne CBD room.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens drug harm reduction spokesperson, Aiv Puglielli MLC:
“Pressure works. For years all we’ve heard are useless ‘thoughts and prayers’ from a Labor Government that has refused to listen to the evidence that pill testing saves lives.
“But now after pressure from the Greens, public health experts, state coroners, and the community, it looks like the Labor Government is ready to change its tune.
“Setting up a pill testing trial this year will help keep young Victorians safe in time for the next summer festival season.
“But the Greens will keep pushing for it to be expanded into music festivals as well. We also don’t want this potential announcement to come at the expense of another safe injecting room – they are completely separate public health issues and should both be acted on by the new Premier.”