The Allan Labor Government's pill testing trial has reached its next major milestone - with Victoria's first fixed site pill testing service in Fitzroy opening its doors.
Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt today announced the Victorian Pill Testing Service will begin operating from its new home at 95 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy on Thursday, 21 August - offering free, confidential, and non-judgmental harm reduction advice from health professionals.
The fixed site will operate three days a week - Thursdays (12:00pm-4:00pm), Fridays (3:00pm-7:00pm) and Saturdays (1:00pm-7:00pm) - providing more access hours and days than any other pill testing service available in Australia.
Located in the heart of one of Melbourne's busiest nightlife hubs, the service is close to public transport, community health and social services - ensuring more Victorians can access this life-saving support.
Like the mobile service, the fixed site will reduce drug harm and save lives by testing most pills, capsules, powders, crystals and liquids, while detecting highly dangerous synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and Nitazenes. These substances are increasingly present in the drug market and can cause overdose and death.
Pill testing also plays a critical role in real-time drug surveillance - giving health authorities early warning of new and highly potent synthetic drugs entering the Victorian market.
The service will continue to be delivered by the trusted consortium of Youth Support and Advocacy Service, The Loop Australia and Harm Reduction Victoria, with support from Melbourne Health, Youth Projects and Metabolomics Australia (University of Melbourne).
The mobile pill testing service will also continue, returning to major music festivals this summer after testing almost 1,400 samples last season and issuing two statewide drug advisory alerts.
Other key insights from the first five major music festivals included:
- For 65 per cent of service users, it was their first time having a harm reduction conversation with a health professional and more than 30 per cent said they would take a smaller amount as a result
- 91 per cent of service users were aged between 18 to 30 years old
- Two statewide drug advisories issued for a high-dosage MDMA pill and high-risk 4-CMC sold as MDMA.
This trial builds on the evidence from around the world that pill testing saves lives - and will help determine the best long-term model for Victoria.
As stated by Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt
"The evidence is clear - pill testing works and that's why we've delivered both a fixed site and mobile services to reach as many Victorians as possible."
"With Victoria's first fixed pill testing service now open, we're giving people more opportunities to have honest, health-focused conversations and get the information they need to make safer choices."
