Tuesday, 17 June 2025

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (13:30): I rise to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s pill-testing trial. Yesterday I was very proud to announce that Victoria’s first fixed site for pill testing will be located at 95 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. The service is close to one of Melbourne’s most popular nightlife hubs as well as public transport, health care and social services, and it will offer access to the same life-saving advice and testing services that we have been delivering during the summer festival season.

I want to be clear: pill testing is not about condoning drug use and it is not about telling people that drugs are safe. It is about providing Victorians with the information they are asking for to help them make more informed, possibly life-saving decisions. In an increasingly volatile and unpredictable drug market, this has never been more important. Victorians who use the service will be provided with information on the contents of their drugs. But the service is much more than a technical result; it is also providing critical harm reduction information to reduce risk.

We saw in part of the summer festival season that for 65 per cent of service users it was the first time they had ever had a conversation with a health professional about their drug use, and more than 30 per cent said they would take a smaller amount as a result of those conversations. Two statewide drug alerts were also issued to the public following the detection of highly potent and unexpected substances with unpredictable effects, and this shows the service is working as designed to reduce harm, raise awareness and ultimately save lives. No drug is ever truly safe, but Victorians deserve to have all the information possible to help them make better, safer and more informed decisions – and that is what we will be providing in Fitzroy.

The PRESIDENT: Before I call the next question can I acknowledge former member for Pascoe Vale Christine Campbell in the gallery.