Community groups show support for Greens’ pill testing push

The Greens will today table legislation aimed at opening the doors to pill testing at festivals and events in Tasmania.

The Greens are pushing to allow pill testing at events in Tasmania.

THE Greens will today table legislation to open the doors to pill testing at festivals and events in Tasmania.

The party’s Misuse of Drugs Amendment (Drug Analysis) Bill 2018 would provide legal protections for organisations that delivered pill testing as well as those who used the service.

The Greens’ Bill would also allow for the creation of a special advisory committee to provide advice to the Health Minister on drug analysis matters.

The Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania, Community Legal Centres Tasmania and Youth Network of Tasmania support the proposed reforms.

Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania chief executive Alison Lai. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania chief executive Alison Lai said pill testing saved lives, reduced demand for illicit drugs and helped governments monitor which drugs were in the community.

“It’s incredibly important that people understand that pill testing is an essential part of the strategy to tackle drugs in our community,” Ms Lai said.

The Greens tried to legislate for pill testing in 2016 but were howled down by former police minister Rene Hidding.

However, that Bill received the support of the Police Association of Tasmania as “[making] sense to anyone in this day and age”.

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The ACT Government allowed a nation-first trial of pill testing at a music festival earlier this year that uncovered two potentially fatal pills.

Ms Lai acknowledged the Greens’ Bill was unlikely to pass the Lower House “because of the misconception that pill testing encourages drug use, supports drug dealers and is counterintuitive to the efforts of Tasmania Police”.