After the legalisation of pill testing back in November last year, and a successful summer of trialling a mobile testing service at festivals across the state, the next step in the drug-checking trial has arrived in Melbourne.
Victoria's first-ever fixed site for pill testing has just opened in the centre of Melbourne's inner north. The service is located at 95 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy – close to one of our city's busiest nightlife hubs.
The site offers testing of most pills, capsules, powders, crystals and liquids, all in an effort to reduce drug harm. It is run by a consortium of Youth Support and Advocacy Service, the Loop Australia and Harm Reduction Victoria. It also offers free, confidential and non-judgmental harm reduction advice from health professionals, medical support and social services when needed.
The legalisation of pill testing doesn't mean that any drugs will be decriminalised outside of being tested at the service, but does mean that people won't be breaking the law by bringing in drugs to be tested. According to information released by the state government, consultations with police will establish an arrangement that doesn’t deter people from using the service. Victoria was the third state in the country to legalise drug-checking, following the ACT and Queensland, and the first to create dedicated legislation to support pill testing.
The motive behind the permanent testing site is ultimately to save lives and change behaviour around drug use, with plenty of research backing pill testing as an effective method to achieve this. A mobile pill testing service operated across Victoria's festival season last summer, travelling several music festivals and events, and is confirmed to return to five more festivals next summer.
The Victorian Pill Testing Service is open on Thursdays (12-4pm), Fridays (3-7pm) and Saturdays (1-7pm).
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.