Jun 7, 2023
The harm reduction service reported a majority of users disposing of their illicit drugs when testing found they contained unexpected and dangerous substances.
ABC’s Adam Shirley spoke with Stephanie Stephens, the Director of Service Delivery at Directions Health.
Apr 21, 2023
A NSW minister has broken ranks to urge her Labor government colleagues to “join the nationwide movement” toward pill testing at music festivals, while also suggesting controversial policing tactics such as strip searches and drug-detection dogs should be part of the promised drug summit. Read the SMH article
Apr 18, 2023
Pill testing will not be available onsite at this year’s Groovin the Moo festival in Canberra after exorbitant insurance premiums meant the service was too costly to offer, but CanTEST is expanding its services on the festival weekend. Read the article
Apr 14, 2023
The Groovin the Moo music festival in Canberra will again be without pill-testing after prohibitively expensive insurance premiums forced the service to be scrapped. Read the ABC Article
Mar 15, 2023
The Tasmanian government has again ruled out allowing pill testing, despite expert calls for it to be introduced following organisers at a music festival over the weekend warning patrons in the wake of a fatality at the event. Read the ABC report.
Feb 28, 2023
Listen to the HRA Interview (audio)
Feb 28, 2023
The potentially lethal drug – called metonitazine – was detected in unmarked yellow pills that were sold as oxycodone. The substance has linked to fatal drug overdoses in New Zealand and the United States. Read the SBS article.
Feb 8, 2023
Queensland will become the second Australian jurisdiction to offer pill testing. While the timeline is yet to be announced, once up and running, Queenslanders who use illicit drugs can have them checked to see what they actually contain before taking them. Read The Conversation article.
Jan 13, 2023
Canberra’s confidential pill-testing service, which allows people to check what substances are in the illicit drugs they buy, has been extended. Read the ABC article.