The Greens have passed a motion through the Senate, pushing for the Government to both introduce pill testing and cut back on the use of sniffer dogs at major music festivals.
Brought to the Senate on International Overdose Day, the motion was passed through the senate without obstruction from Labor or Liberal Senators.
“Six people in Australia die each day due to overdose. It’s devastating for families, it’s entirely preventable, and our country’s politicians need to find the courage to do what they can to prevent further harm,” said Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale – who is a former drug and alcohol clinician – via a press release.
The motion calls for further harm reduction measures including needle and syringe programs, supervised injecting rooms and pill testing.
“These are all evidence-based harm reduction measures that the government should resource,” said Di Natale.
While the laws regarding pill testing and sniffer dogs remain unchanged, and are likely to remain rigid, the motion will potentially lead to further discussion and ultimately, further change.
Stay tuned to Forte for more updates.
