Melbourne Politicians Have Called on the Victorian Government to Allow Pill Testing
And the City of Port Phillip Council has offered (again) to play host to a state-first pill testing trial
While the debate around pill testing and music festival safety continues in Sydney, a handful of Melbourne politicians have instigated their own push to establish a local pill testing trial.
Yesterday, a group of 11 Upper House crossbenchers took to the steps of Parliament House to call for the Andrews government's urgent support in the matter, while the City of Port Phillip Council once again put up its hand to play host to a state-first pill testing trial, almost two years after first advocating for the legislative changes to do so.
Victorian Reason Party leader Fiona Patten took to Twitter before the rally, saying, "#pilltesting saves lives and provides a unique opportunity to intervene at that crucial time."
And in a statement regarding his council's own government push, City of Port Phillip Mayor Dick Gross said that while he acknowledged the best harm minimisation approach was simply not to take drugs, "pill testing at venues such as music festivals could help save many lives."
"Our Council is again offering to do what we can, in collaboration with public health experts, to support a carefully controlled trial," he explained.
However, it's not looking too promising for either group at this stage, with the Age reporting the major government parties aren't budging from their anti-testing stance. As Acting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan told the Age, "Victoria Police gives very firm advice on the matter of pill testing to the Victorian government about the false and potentially fatal outcomes that can come as a result of a pill testing regime."
The push for pill testing follows the deaths of five young Australians at music festivals from suspected drug overdoses since September.
Image: Groovin the Moo, by Jack Toohey, where Australia's first pill-testing trial took place.
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