"Greens want to set up free after-hours pill testing centres
FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2018 4:00AM

ABC News

The Australian Greens want to open community pill testing centres that would run after-hours and offer free testing of drugs for purity and dangerous substances.

Under their proposed pill testing scheme, released today, the Greens would set-up six drug testing units in the first year, and also establish a national drug testing agency to oversee the program.

The centres would form part of an early warning system, where the information about the tested drugs will be made public on social media and in hospital emergency departments.

It’s based on a similar model in the Netherlands, where drug users can get up-to-date info about dangerous substances going around.

Australian Greens leader Dr Richard Di Natale says the scheme would cost $16 million dollars over four years and expand to 18 centres.

“Australia’s hard line drug policy costs lives,” Dr Di Natale said."

Free testing of drugs for druggies. What rubbish! We spend far too much on drug addicts and drunks already. A stupid idea from stupid people. The Greens will never change.

"Overall, the public hospital costs associated with illicit drug-related presentations in 2011 were $112m."

It is in their DNA that is not an insult just true.
Quite often they come up with ideas we grin at, but here they are onto something
Pill testing, people will take them, can stop deaths and that makes it worthwhile

Issy, you like to refer to the Greens as "headline grabbers", well the answer to this one is obvious, it is an extremely good proposal, with plenty of merit. I hope it is a headline grabber and awakens the government, which is always asleep when it comes to the scourge of drugs in the community, and has a good look at this from a social welfare prospective, as well as a cost effective way of saving lives.

ttbn, as a claimed member of the Corny Banana Sideshow Party, what is your mobs policy when it comes to dealing with drugs, legal and illegal, in the community? Other than the failure of the big stick approach.

Well said Belly, its a pity some other members of the Forum don't have your intelligence to understand that drug policy as it is, is not working effectively, and all proposals need to be considered.

Paul,

If someone wants to take unprescribed drugs of doubtful origin then I respect their right to be Richard Craniums, if they kill themselves in the process then that's one less in the gene pool.