Welcome!
Pill Testing Australia (previously STA-SAFE) conduct laboratory grade, front of house pill testing integrated with health professional consultations.
Having conducted Australia’s first successful pill testing at Groovin the Moo in 2018 we are working hard to roll out this proven, important harm reduction strategy at events and eventually in cities around Australia. The Groovin the Moo 2019 pill testing service was a resounding success and led to the establishment of Australia’s first ever fixed pill testing service – CanTEST – which was launched in July 2022, and following a 6 month pilot, 675 discussions, 85 health interventions and 614 substance tests, funding has been extended into 2023.
If you thought testing pills was just a recent idea, think again. Drug checking services have been developed over the last 25 years in over 30 countries and are one of the best proven strategies for reducing drug-related harm.
The evidence for pill testing shows us that:
- it reduces the amount of drugs consumed by individuals
- it reduces the variety of drugs consumed in a session, both of which are risk factors for overdose & death
We are dedicated to seeing pill testing services rolled out as part of a nationwide system.
What we do is relatively simple.
People considering using a pill or other drug can see us to have them tested to discover what it is they may really be taking.
As part of this process we will provide a range of information to help people make an informed decision while understanding the risks and what to do in the event of any adverse outcomes.
This is an opportunity for an early intervention, the provision of non-discriminatory health information, and access referral pathways to a range of health and community services.
We never advise people it is safe to take drugs
We never promote the consumption of drugs
We are a non-discriminatory health service.
Enjoy looking around our website and learning about the different services we provide.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Pill Testing Explained animation
Launched on Oct 31, 2020, an animated video produced by Dancewize, Pill Testing Australia and SSDP.
Coroners plead for a drug testing trial
In January, Ms Allan said she had sought that advice after at least 10 people were taken to hospital following suspected drug use at festivals. "There are no current plans to change the policy setting on drug checking," she said at the time. Harm Reduction Australia...
Canberra pill-testing service finds methamphetamine in counterfeit diet pill
CanTEST Coordinator Steph Tzanetis told ABC Radio Canberra this particular drug had been purchased from "the clear net, not the dark web". She said taking the potent drug, methamphetamine, could have resulted in the person experiencing a stimulant overdose. "So the...
Renewed calls for pill testing at festivals and clubs
Stephanie Tzanetis is coordinator for Directions Health at CanTEST, the A-C-T's fixed site pill testing service. She's also the Executive Officer at Pill Testing Australia, which provided Australia's first on-site music festival pill testing at Groovin the Moo in...
Fresh calls for pill-testing after suspected drug overdose death at Victorian music festival
The Victorian government is being urged to reassess its stance on pill-testing after the death of a man from a suspected drug overdose at a weekend music festival. The 23-year-old was airlifted in a critical condition to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne from Mafeking...
NSW Health warns of opioid risk after people took heroin thinking it was cocaine or methamphetamine
The NSW health department has issued a drugs warning after 11 people who believed they were using cocaine or methamphetamine recently experienced an opioid overdose.
Emergency departments report spike in hospital admissions linked to illicit drug GHB or fantasy
Dr Green said that, without drug testing being made available to the public, it was too challenging to find out what was in a drug after a patient had suffered an overdose.