2017-02-19
“The drug overdoses that occurred last night are another reminder that both state and federal governments are failing young Australians. We need politicians to do what they’re paid to do - make laws that put people’s safety first," Senator Richard Di Natale, leader of the Australian Greens said today.
“We know that young people will continue to try drugs. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and pretend it’s not going to happen. What we need to do is give them the tools they need to make educated choices.
“Pill testing is shown to reduce the likelihood that young people will take the drug they’re testing. It can save lives.
“The fact that successive state and federal governments are ignoring the experts and refusing to implement pill testing and other harm reduction strategies is not only stupid - it’s negligent.
“We need to face up to the reality of drug use and focus on minimising harm: including providing realtime information and pill testing if we want to keep our friends, our brothers and sisters, and our children safe.
“Thank you to the paramedics and medical staff for their work last night. Our thoughts are with the individuals and families affected overnight.”