Former NSW Liberal MP Bruce Notley-Smith backs Queensland pill-test strategy

A former NSW Liberal MP has backed the push for wider implementation of drug harm minimisation policies.

Former NSW Liberal MP Bruce Notley-Smith.

A former NSW Liberal MP has backed Queensland’s pill testing and drug diversion strategy, saying lives and money will be saved and the root causes of addiction addressed.

Bruce Notley-Smith called for an evidence-based approach to drug use and said fear-based and ideological arguments should be rejected amid a broader push towards harm-minimisation policies.

Mr Notley-Smith said drug use should always be treated as a health issue and not a criminal challenge and he backed the direction of the Queensland government. “Although I was an LNP MP, I support the Queensland government, which announced plans to trial its own pill testing program in 2023 and seeks to create drug diversion schemes of their own.

“I believe that pill testing and drug diversion is not radical but practical and realistic.

“I believe that these measures can save money and lives by addressing the root causes of drug use and addiction. I believe that both pill testing and diversion are part of a broader movement for drug policy reform that is based on human rights, social justice and harm reduction.”

Mr Notley-Smith, a former Randwick mayor, cautioned against the notion of other serious crimes being trivialised in the legal system.

“Let me be clear that all other crimes – whether they be assault or robbery or even burglary – must have consequences and no one in their right mind would advocate for the decriminalisation of those crimes,’’ he said.

“However, we must treat drug use separately – as a health issue – if we are to make any progress towards true justice for all.”

Queensland has announced it would have drug testing sites for the first time, giving users a clearer idea of the ingredients of the potentially fatal pills they were consuming.

The pill testing agenda will be on a trial basis and follows the agendas under way in the ACT.

Queensland had already declared it would soften drug possession laws with a three strikes policy, where people using small amounts would not immediately be convicted but face increasing requirements once arrested the second and third time.

The fourth minor drug possession leads to a police officer issuing a notice for the offender to appear in court.

The drug diversion and pill testing debate has been running in Australia for decades.

It is almost 30 years ago since Sydney 15-year-old Anna Wood died after overdosing on the commonly used drug ecstasy, triggering demands for a new way of dealing with pill use.

In the ACT, testers analyse the contents of drugs to explain to users the potentially dangerous substances in illicit drugs.

Counselling and advice are also provided to users, based on their test result “to encourage choices that reduce overall drug use and the harms associated with taking illicit drugs”, the ­government says.

Mr Notley-Smith said the success of the pill testing process in ACT had added weight to a more progressive approach to drug-related issues.