Canberra pill testing site moves closer as ACT govt agrees to investigation

The government agreed to explore the idea in the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

The pill testing pilot in the city entertainment area would operate on weekends and be informed by expert health advice.

The agreement came after an amendment from the Greens to a motion on harm minimisation.

Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said he was pleased to secure a commitment from the government to extend pill-testing from only music festivals to a more regular service.

"The reality is - people don't just take pills at music festivals, they are taking them on the weekends and on other occasions," he said.

"A routine pill-testing site will continue to build on the success of previous pill-testing trials at music festivals here in the ACT, and help keep more young lives safe.

"This decision today means that over the coming summer, as we look to potentially eased restrictions, we'll be able to provide more supports so that young people can experience less harm as a result of recreational drug use.

"The Greens have long advocated for a routine pill-testing site as a health service that should be regularly provided in our city.

"We are especially pleased today that the ACT will again lead the nation in helping keep more young people safe."

Mr Rattenbury said he hoped a site would become a permanent fixture on Canberra's streets on weekends. He said ACT Ambulance Service and ACT Policing would need to be involved in any proposal. The proposal could also include the CBR Night Crew, who help revellers affected by drugs or alcohol.

But the agreement does not lock in a pilot, rather the government has committed to exploring the idea. The ACT was the first jurisdiction in Australia to conduct a trial of pill testing in 2018 at the Groovin the Moo festival.

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Another trial was conducted at the same festival in 2019, with a study giving it the thumbs up.

Mr Rattenbury has been calling for a fixed pill testing site for a number of years. He said a funding model was needed to make pill testing sustainable - whether through government funding, philanthropic support or contributions from festival organisers.

So far, ACT pill-testing trials have been run entirely on volunteer time and largely at the expense of consortium Pill Testing Australia. The ACT government has previously said it would consider funding future pill testing at festivals, however it is yet to make any commitments.