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Melbourne now ketamine capital of Australia as drug use soars

Ketamine use has soared in Melbourne, with girls as young as 14 overdosing at dance parties, while the Allan government moves to introduce pill testing at music festivals to reduce deaths.

How Victoria's pill testing scheme will work

Melbourne has emerged as the ketamine capital of Australia, with use skyrocketing and authorities fearing it will lead to deaths.

The unenviable title comes as the state government moves to introduce pill testing at music festivals in the bid to reduce illicit drug overdoses and deaths in Victoria.

Ketamine known as “ket’ is a dangerous sedative — which was recently linked to the death of Friends star Matthew Perry — is increasingly of concern to Victorian authorities, as well as police monitoring Australia’s borders, as increasing quantities flood into the city, and it gains popularity among illicit drug users.

Data released by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) confirmed that Melbourne’s wastewater consistently has the highest levels of ketamine; above Sydney and Brisbane.

Melbourne’s wastewater consistently has the highest levels of ketamine.
Melbourne’s wastewater consistently has the highest levels of ketamine.

Authorities also fear illicit use is on the rise, with levels spiking in Melbourne from August 2023 to February this year.

ACIC Principal Advisor Drugs Shane Neilson said ketamine was on their radar and was being closely monitored by authorities.

“Ketamine use has been increasing in Melbourne since August 2023 and is now at the second highest level recorded since the ACIC started monitoring ketamine in our National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program in December 2020,” he said.

He added that consumption of ketamine in regional Victoria declined during the same period. Still, Victoria consistently clocked the highest use compared to other regional areas.

Ketamine is a powerful sedative and is becoming increasingly popular among younger drug users.

Experts have also said that an alarming number of young people are turning to the substance at dance parties, and girls as young as 14 have overdosed on ketamine at Melbourne house parties and ended up in the hospital.

A mobile pill testing service will be set up for 10 festivals this summer, while a fixed site is planned for mid-2025 in inner Melbourne.
A mobile pill testing service will be set up for 10 festivals this summer, while a fixed site is planned for mid-2025 in inner Melbourne.

On Tuesday, the Allan government introduced new pill testing legislation to help partygoers weed out bad drugs after a series of deaths and overdoses at events.

Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt said: “No drug is ever truly safe, but people deserve to know if that one pill will kill – these changes don’t make drugs legal, but they will allow us to offer a service that will help keep Victorians safe”.

Under the proposed law festival organisers, pill testers and patrons of the testing sites will be protected from drug charges.

However, the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing) Bill 2024 have been revealed will not grant protection for traffickers or people carrying drugs at festivals away from the pill testing sites.

Ms Stitt said police would be “sensible” and “not opportunistic”.

The law will also allow a mobile trial that will be in action by the end of the year ahead of 10 key music festivals.

A fixed testing site will also be rolled out by mid-2025.

A fixed pill testing site will be rolled out by mid 2025.
A fixed pill testing site will be rolled out by mid 2025.

Ketamine is one of the substances likely to be found in drugs by festival-goers with experts saying the growing use of the dangerous sedative as a cutting agent was a concern.

Its also become a popular party drug with demand driven by availability, with crime gangs in Southeast Asia seeing Australia as a lucrative drug market.

In July last year, Australian Federal Police made their biggest ketamine bust on record, seizing 174kg from locations across Victoria, with a wholesale value of $6.9 million.

At the time, AFP Detective Superintendent Transnational Serious and Organised Crime Anthony Hall said there were major concerns about the illicit drug.

“Ketamine is a dangerous and illicit sedative,” Detective-Superintendent Hall warned.

“Its dissociative effects block sensory brain signals and can cause memory loss, feelings of being detached from one’s body and prevent their ability to perceive danger.”

A Victoria Police spokesman said: “Victoria Police is focused on detecting, disrupting and arresting those people who cause significant harm in our community by trafficking drugs including ketamine”.

For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to www.turningpoint.org.au.

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/new-pill-testing-laws-to-spare-festival-organisers-from-drug-charges/news-story/41edfba00a9a65b57282394259100bcc