The state of Victoria could see pill testing presumably by 2020 if another bill introduced by The Greens becomes favourable when proposed to the Parliament.
The Victorian Greens will present The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing Pilot For Drug Harm Reduction) Bill 2019 to Parliament before the late spring events season, and it will be discussed in mid 2020.
The bill, if successful, will be called “Daniel’s Bill” to pay tribute to Daniel Buccianti, who heartbreakingly perished of an unplanned overdose at Rainbow Serpent Festival back in 2012. Since his passing, Daniel’s mom Adriana (Buccianti) has been a solid power behind the pill testing development.
“No parent should have to endure what I went through. But in the last 12 months, at least five other families have lost their child from drug overdoses,” Adriana said.
If the proposed bill moves forward, Daniel’s Bill will execute a 2-year preliminary of pill testing administrations, with portable kiosks for use at music events and a permanently assigned location for a “more intensive analysis”, as per The Guardian. The pill testing offices will work on a 2-year lease, with the possibility for an additional multi year renewal if the preliminary is effective.
The tests will “evaluate the load and take a little fragment of the substances clients are meaning to take and give back the rest of the substance to the client or potential client”, the draft bill states.
The proposal is being led by The Victorian Greens MP for Brunswick, Dr Tim Read, who additionally happens to be a drug rehabilitation authority.
“We need to change the culture of drug use in Australia, and the first step is treating drug use as a health issue. We must acknowledge the current approach is resulting in unintended consequences and instead choose policies that have worked elsewhere. It’s time to get over the stigma and just test the pills.” – DR. READ
Dr Read additionally calls attention to the present restriction approach that has had deadly outcomes for people especially young audiences at music events who frequently go to alarming extent just to stay away from authorities. He additionally recognizes that there are “more than 20 years of proof that demonstrates pill testing decreases overdoses and shields individuals from the damage of unlawful drug use.”
