Victoria’s coroner calls on govt to introduce pill testing after festival death

Victoria’s coroner has called on the Andrews government to implement drug testing services after a young man died from taking a highly potent MDMA pill at a Melbourne festival.

The Andrews government says it has no plans to implement a key recommendation from the State Coroner to green light pill testing after a 26-year-old man died after taking a highly potent MDMA pill.

Coroner Judge John Cain on Wednesday morning recommended the Andrews government introduce drug checking services following an investigation into the young man’s death last year.

The man, only referred to as Mr P in the investigation, took what is believed to be a Blue Punisher pill at the Karnival Music Festival in Flemington on March 13 2022.

The Blue Punisher – a small blue pill with a skull design imprinted on it – has gained a reputation internationally for its dangerously high concentrations of MDMA.

Mr P, who had earlier used cocaine and consumed alcohol, soon developed difficulty talking and began having seizures.

He was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with multi-organ failure and brain swelling, but died days later.

So far this year, two deaths and multiple MDMA overdoses in Germany have been linked to Blue Punisher pills, prompting warnings across Europe.

Two deaths and multiple MDMA overdoses in Germany have been linked to Blue Punisher pills so far this year. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Judge Cain found that while authorities did not seize any Blue Punisher pills at the festival, there was evidence they were circulating in Australia in 2022, and concluded the fatal overdose was likely due to taking the high-dose pill.

Judge Cain said that while there was no guarantee a drug checking service would have been used by Mr P, a service would have at least provided an opportunity for him to be better informed.

RMIT drugs policy researcher Monica Barratt, who has led calls for drug checking services, said Victoria is “lagging behind” other states on the issue.

“In Victoria, we find out about local drug trends after the harms have occurred through analysis of overdose presentations at hospitals, at the morgue or through police seizures,” she said.

“Drug checking services never tell someone that drugs are safe, they do the opposite. They remind people how unpredictable drug markets can be.

“If we can prevent overdoses from happening in the first place, then we cannot only reduce harms for consumers and avoid the pain felt by bereaved family members, but also ease the pressures on our emergency health system for all Victorians.”

Mental Health Minister Gabrielle Williams said pill testing was not currently on the government’s agenda.

Ms Williams said pill testing was not currently on the government’s agenda. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“Our thoughts go out to the family of that young man. Any death in these circumstances is one too many,” she said.

“We have very deliberately embarked upon a health led response in our alcohol and other drug policy.

“There are currently no plans for pill testing but given that we have quite a lot of reforms taking place in this area, we’ll continue with that reform agenda (and) continue taking a health led response and over time, should there be evidence to suggest that there’s more that we need to do, of course as policymakers we look at it but at the moment there are no plans.”

The ACT implemented Australia’s first drug checking service, CanTEST, which has helped 437 people reduce their risk of an overdose or poisoning through drug tests.

The Queensland government has also announced it will support drug checking in the near future.