We have exciting news!
Victoria has announced a fair dinkum pill testing trial set to begin later this year, and the date for the highly anticipated NSW Drug Summit has been set.
On the international scene, the Taliban ban on opium production has created a vacuum in the market that is being filled by highly potent synthetic opioids, like fentanyl and nitazenes.
Read on for the latest news.
Victoria Announces Pill Testing
Victoria has introduced a bill to parliament implementing drug testing at festivals this summer. In a welcome backflip, Premier Jacinta Allan announced that drug testing will provide people with the information to make safer choices. The service will include both a mobile unit for festivals and a metropolitan fixed site. The bill has passed the lower house and is expected to pass the upper house shortly.
Full article here.
NSW Drug Summit is Happening
Finally, after a year of procrastination, the NSW Government has finally fulfilled its election promise to hold a drug summit. The summit starts in regional NSW with sessions in Griffith and Listmore in early November and culminates in December with a two-day session in Sydney.
There is an online survey where you can share your views on the drug issue and help set the agenda. The survey is open for feedback until Sunday, November 17, 2024.
Please have your say to get genuine harm reduction solutions on the agenda.
NSW Drug Summit Forums
- Griffith, Friday, 1 November 2024
- Lismore, Monday, 4 November 2024
- Sydney, Wednesday & Thursday, 4-5 December 2024
CanTEST Proves Pill Testing Works
CanTEST, Australia’s first fixed-site pill testing service, has tested more than 2,600 substances since 2022. The service has issued 19 dangerous drug alerts and identified previously unknown substances in the local drug market, including the potent synthetic opioid nitazenes. The success of the CanTEST trail has paved the way for future drug-checking services in Queensland and Victoria. Here’s hoping that the NSW drug summit will green-light drug testing for NSW.
More here.
Fentanyl Detected in Canberra
For the first time, CanTEST has found fentanyl in Australia’s drug supply. Fortunately, the owner discarded the substance when told of the result. Such detections and the resulting community alerts prove the life-saving benefits of drug-checking services.
More details here.
Victorian Cannabis Driving Review Delay
Victoria is reviewing the law for drivers who test positive for THC but aren’t actually impaired. The government is providing $4.9 million to Swinburne University for an 18-month trial measuring the effect of cannabis on driving. The bad news is that the trial will finish in late 2025, meaning any legislative changes are unlikely until mid-2026. Seems the green light for medical cannabis users to drive is stuck on amber.
Read more here.
Queensland’s New Government Chokes on Pill Testing
Following the recent LNP election win in Queensland, the new Premier, David Crisafulli, has cast doubt on the future of the state’s pill testing program. Earlier this year, Crisafulli criticised the Labor initiative, which introduced Queensland’s first pill testing sites at festivals to reduce drug-related harm. He claimed it sends “mixed messages” about drugs, signalling a possible rollback under the new conservative government. Watch this space…
Illicit Drug Use Increasing
A nationwide wastewater analysis by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) shows a 17% rise in methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA use since the pandemic. The report estimates that Australia’s illicit drug market is worth $12.4 billion. Despite the tough-on-drugs approach, it seems the only thing getting tougher is stopping people from enjoying illicit drugs.
For more, click here.
How Easy is it to Make Fentanyl?
A Reuters investigation revealed how easy it is to buy the chemicals to make fentanyl. Reporters successfully purchased necessary precursors from Chinese suppliers to create an estimated £3 million worth of fentanyl. This highlights the reality that synthetic opiates will replace traditional organic opiates.
Read the full article here.
Australia is Unprepared for Fentanyl
The clock is ticking before fentanyl arrives in Australia. What’s concerning is the admitted lack of preparation from the government and health departments. More Information
The good news is that DPA is actively stocking up on thousands of Fentanyl Test Strips to ensure availability if things go downhill. NGO’s and govt agencies can purchase them at discounted non-profit prices.
Fentanyl Test Strips are a simple tool used to detect fentanyl and many of its analogues. They provide a quick and easy means of detecting fentanyl in a drug sample, giving results in three minutes through a simple 15-second dip test.
They are the proverbial canary in the coal mine, alerting consumers and health professionals to potential danger. Having enough supplies of these test strips will save thousands of lives in the event of an influx of fentanyl in the drug supply chain.
Nitazene Test Strips
We also stock Nitazene Test Strips, which are fast, reliable tools for detecting potent nitazene analogues, including isotonitazene and protonitazene. Order your Nitazene Test Strips from our shop today.
Drug Policy Australia is importing Fentanyl and NitazeneTest Strips into Australia and making them available to other non-profits, government departments and needle and syringe services.
Stay safe with Fentanyl and Nitazene test strips from our shop.
Australia’s Drug Budget Spend
Australian Governments spend 64% of their drug policy budget on law enforcement at the expense of treatment, prevention and harm reduction, according to new research from the UNSW Drug Modeling program. It’s a travesty that this wasted money could have been spent on drug treatment for those suffering from problematic drug use.
More is available here.
Taliban’s Poppy Ban Fuels Synthetic Opioid Crisis
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan’s opium crop is down 95% due to the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation. This has led to a sharp decline in heroin production, prompting a global shift towards synthetic opioids like fentanyl and nitazenes. The emergence of synthetic opioids in Australia is a game changer for Australia, which is already experiencing an increase in opioid overdoses.
For more details, read the full article here.
Czech Republic Plans to Legalise Cannabis
The Czech Republic plans to legalise recreational cannabis. The draft Cannabis Management Act includes personal cultivation legalisation, a licensing system with seed-to-sale tracking, and a regulated market. This could make the Czech Republic a potential model for other European states.
Find out more.
Thailand’s Cannabis Legalisation Update
Thailand’s volatile political climate threatens to impact its recent legalisation of cannabis. The newly appointed Prime Minister has publicly opposed recreational cannabis use but has yet to reverse the legislation. Stakeholders in Thailand’s $1.2 billion cannabis industry are challenging any sudden legislative changes threatening their financial stability. Watch this space….
Read more here.
Oregon Recriminalises Drug Possession
Oregon has reversed its groundbreaking drug decriminalisation experiment, criminalising drug possession again. Sensational media coverage of street drug use, inadequate services, and rising fentanyl-related overdoses have turned public sentiment against continuing the trial. The only positive outcome is that the new law turns personal drug use into a minor misdemeanour.
More here.
Death Penalty for Drugs: The Deadly Reality
A Decade-Long Review On the Death Penalty For Drug Offences by Harm Reduction International reveals alarming figures: 3,113 executions for drug offences from 2014 to 2023, with nearly one in three executions globally being drug-related. Despite opposing the death penalty, the UNODC’s silence on these issues signals a troubling lack of progress.
Read more here.
Street Campaign for Pill Testing
Drug Policy Australia remains steadfast in advocating for permanent pill testing sites across regional Victoria. The ongoing Street Campaign aims to rally public support and push for governmental action. During September and October, our team took to the streets of Melbourne and Warnambool to raise awareness about the lifesaving benefits of pill testing. The tremendous support from the local communities was heartening.
As a registered charity, we rely on your generous donations to continue our fight for drug policy reform. Your donation will help get pill testing over the line. Please show your support for evidence-based drug policies that support justice and human rights.
All donations are fully tax-deductible.
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How You Can Help
Our current drug laws are targeting vulnerable members of our community, including young people and Indigenous Australians. In 2021, 1,675 Australians died of an accidental drug overdose. The drug laws did not help those who died of an overdose, nor do they help the thousands of families that need help with addiction today.
At Drug Policy Australia, we campaign for a world where vulnerable individuals are not persecuted, prosecuted and demeaned for their drug use, but are treated with respect and compassion. We need your help to do this.
As a registered charity, we rely on your generous donations to continue our fight for drug policy reform.
All donations are fully tax-deductible.
Here’s why doctors are backing pill testing at music festivals across Australia
