Pill testing is set to be legalised in Victoria after new legislation was passed on Tuesday night. The state is the first to introduce new laws around pill testing and it’s come just in time — with mobile pill testing sites being made available during the busy summer music festival season this year.
While The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing) Bill 2024 doesn’t legalise any drugs currently classed as illicit, it means that people using and working at pill testing sites are protected under the law.
This means people will be able to get their drugs tested without fear of legal repercussions. A real win!
“No drug is ever truly safe, but with this new legislation, Victorians can be better informed about their drug use,” Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt said in a statement.
“We have made it clear since announcing this trial — these changes don’t make drugs legal, but by having pill testing services in place, we can help to keep more Victorians safe during busy summer festival seasons.
“The passing of this nation-leading legislation paves the way for our implementation trial to begin — this will allow us to explore what model works best because there’s plenty of evidence that pill testing saves lives.”
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan also outlined why pill testing is so important earlier this year.
“This is about saving lives,” she said. “I don’t condone drugs but if a young person gets handed a pill at a festival they need someone to tell them exactly what it is and exactly what it does, without telling them that it’s safe.
“We can put our heads in the sand like politicians have done for decades or we can change behaviour.”
Victorian Greens MP Aiv Puglielli celebrated the win on Instagram and announced there will be 10 mobile testing sites at festivals across the state starting this summer.
“The Greens have been campaigning for pill testing in Victoria for years, last night we finally passed pill testing into law,” Puglielli wrote.
“To everyone who has campaigned with us, thank you. We did it.”
Puglielli also confirmed that a fixed pill testing site will be opening in mid-2025 in an inner Melbourne suburb. It’s said to be close to public transport and in the heart of the nightlife.
Lead image: Getty
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