Thursday, 31 July 2025

Western Victoria Region

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:49): (1707) My question is for the Minister for Mental Health. A new study from Monash has shown that Greater Geelong in my electorate of western Victoria is the fourth-highest area for statewide ambulance call-outs as a result of GHB use. GHB is a synthetic drug with a small window of tolerance in most users, meaning that the difference between the so-called desired effect and overdose can be very small. Loss of consciousness in people who use GHB is common simply from taking too much but also as a result of contaminated or stronger than expected batches. Access to drug checking but also access to the honest conversations that go with drug checking are essential if we want to reduce drug harm in our communities. Regional communities should not miss out on sustained access to this care, and advocates in my electorate want to ask the minister: when will you open a permanent, fixed-site drug-checking service in Geelong?