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ACT government’s decision to allow a pill testing trial at Spilt Milk festival is a good one
The ACT government has made a courageous decision to proceed with a pill testing trial at a music festival in the territory. While the nation’s capital is thought of as one of the more progressive jurisdictions in the country it is still nonetheless a big step to green light such a proposal. […]
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ACT Government approves free pill testing at Spilt Milk festival
In a groundbreaking Australian-first, the ACT Government will allow free pill testing to take place at the Spilt Milk music festival in Canberra on November 25. […]
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Police support injecting room in Melbourne
‘Heroin overdoses are predominantly a health issue that commonly cause death and leave our members and other emergency service workers frequently picking up the pieces when lives are tragically lost,’ union secretary Wayne Gatt said on Monday. The union said a trial for safe injecting rooms – like the one at Sydney’s Kings Cross – would not affect police operations. […]
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Fact check: Is there evidence that mandatory drug testing of welfare recipients can help drug users get off welfare?
Mr Porter’s claim is wishful thinking. Of six reports put forward by Mr Porter’s office in defence of his claim, only two specifically relate to drug testing of welfare recipients and both strongly reject it as a viable strategy. The other four relate to the drug treatment of offenders in the criminal justice system. […]
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Drug-testing welfare recipients an ‘absolute disgrace’, Australian of the Year says
McGorry is the latest prominent Australian to voice his concern about the measure, which will see 5,000 welfare recipients drug tested at three trial locations. He has warned the policy fails to understand the intersection between mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction. The consequence will be to drive vulnerable Australians with a mental health issue away from the welfare system,…
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Until my son became dependent, drugs weren’t part of my world. I hope they’re never part of yours
If someone is addicted to drugs and you take away their ability to spend money on drugs, will they stop using?No, they will find other criminal ways to score, break and enters or dealing drugs. That’s why I’m naming this bill “desperate measures”, because that’s what it will induce in our community. […]
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Welfare drug testing punishes those ‘least able to change’, former AFP commissioner says
“All of my experience tells me that this won’t work,” Palmer told the ABC on Wednesday. “Really what it will do is create more damage, and most damage and most harm to those people who are most vulnerable and most in need of support and protection, which was my experience when we first responded to the tough on drugs policies under…
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A medically supervised injection facility matters for Victoria – and for more inclusive mental health support
The many people who died from preventable heroin overdoses were members of a Melbourne community – and their lives mattered. We can choose to be the kind of community that supports each other when people are struggling and need help. Now we need to make sure that establishing a medically supervised injection centre in North Richmond remains a priority, and becomes…
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Drug testing welfare recipients is about money not love
The personal cost and harm of this policy is much more obvious than the love. We know that risky alcohol and drug use are closely linked to living in remote and disadvantaged areas. Being marginalised and disadvantaged leads to increased drug and alcohol use, not the other way around. Targeting already marginalised people in this blunt way will only increase disadvantage…
