Pill testing will soon be trialled in Victoria, Premier Jacinta Allan has announced.
The background: Allan said in a video posted to social media on Monday night that paramedics responded to more drug overdoses at festivals in the first three months of 2024 than all of 2023.
Her predecessor Daniel Andrews was consistently against similar trials in his decade-long tenure.
Allan said watching her two children grow up impacted her stance on the issue.
The key quote: “In a few years, they’ll be heading off to parties, to music festivals, and like all parents, I catch myself thinking – what if the worst happens? What if one of them doesn’t make it home?” — Jacinta Allan.
What else to know: Allan said pill testing can save lives.
“It exists around the world and the evidence says it works,” she said.
Five Victorian coronial recommendations since 2021 have pushed for drug-checking services to reduce the risk of overdose deaths.
Queensland and the ACT are the only jurisdictions to have legalised the rollout of pill testing.