As the push for pill testing around the country continues to grow, the ACT Greens are lobbying the government to support local trials at festivals.
The ACT Greens member for Kurrajong Shane Rattenbury has launched a petition calling for action to be taken.
MORE: Times are a changin’ – push for pill testing, no sniffer dogs grows
“The law and order approach to drug use is not working, and across Australia people are getting sick, and dying, because of it,” the petition letter states.
“It’s time for a health focused and evidence-based approach to drug use, which will Keep Canberra Safe for the young people in our community. That’s why Canberrans are calling on the Labor Party to join with them and commit to a government supported pill testing trial here in the ACT.
“Already this year, three young people have died in Melbourne from drug overdoses and 20 have been hospitalised. Two young men from the Hunter region of NSW also died horrific deaths after overdosing on synthetic drugs. Ongoing political inaction on this issue is allowing this harm to continue and failing to meet community expectations to keep our young people safe.”
The state governments have been notoriously hardline in refusing to negotiate with pill testing advocates.
Closer to home, Unharm’s Will Tregoning described the atmosphere in NSW as “very negative and tense” in an interview on triple j at the end of last year.
