Greens in call for pill test facility

A PERMANENT pill-testing facility would be established in Victoria to analyse drugs allyear round under Greens Party legislation.

The plan also includes a mobile drug-testing lab for music festivals, effectively establishing tandem trials the Greens say will save lives.

The pill-testing centre — which does not yet have a proposed location — would include on-site health specialists and social workers as well as laboratory equipment.

A sample of the potentially toxic substances would be taken for testing, with the rest returned to the user.

Warnings would be issued about ingredients found, and an amnesty bin would allow people to dump their drugs.

Only adults would be allowed to have drugs tested.

Greens MP Tim Read said the legislation would be called “Daniel’s Bill”, in memory of Daniel Buccianti who died from an overdose at Rainbow Serpent Festival in 2012.

“There is over 20 years of evidence that shows pill testing reduces overdoses and protects people from the harm of illicit drug use,” Dr Read said.

“We know that most people choose to throw out their drugs when informed that they contain harmful substances.”

Daniel Andrews ruled out pill testing last year, but supporters hold out hope the Premier will change his mind.

Critics say pill testing could encourage greater use of drugs, or give users a false sense of security about dangerous substances they were ingesting.

But Dr Read said pill testing was “a way to minimise harm”.

“We are already doing a form of pill testing for hospital patients who have urine tested, for example. It makes a whole lot of sense to test pills before they are swallowed rather than after,” he said.

Adriana Buccianti said she was honoured to have the Bill named for her son and pleaded for Premier Daniel Andrews to trial the programs.

Mrs Buccianti said “it’s time for a different direction”.