The Victorian Greens have renewed their calls on the Victorian Labor Government to introduce pill testing, saying the evidence on pill testing has been clear for years.
Earlier today, the Upper House began debating the Greens’ historic joint bill with the Animal Justice Party and Legalise Cannabis Victoria.
The Pill Testing Pilot for Drug Harm Reduction Bill would establish a mobile pill testing service for major music festivals, as well as a fixed-site service for more detailed analysis year round.
Both sites would be licensed for two years with the potential for a four-year extension following a review.
A recently obtained Parliamentary Budget Office costing has revealed a trial could cost as little as $3.7 million dollars, if Victoria used a similar model to the one used in Canberra.
During the debate, one Labor MP – Sonja Terpstra – even expressed her support for pill testing, saying: “I support pill testing but I am from the government so I am not going to vote for your bill”.
