The Queensland government wants other states to follow its lead and roll out pill testing for illicit drugs in a bid to reduce avoidable deaths.
In a decision described by one advocate as having a “certain degree of bravery,” the Palaszczuk government on Saturday said it hoped to have at least one drug-checking trial site running within six months.
“The evidence is clear – it makes a difference,” Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.
“We know simply saying drugs are bad and harmful does not divert people away from them. We have to try new initiatives that are based on evidence.”
The move comes days after the state shifted towards decriminalising illicit drug possession and five years after drug-checking was first trialled at a Canberra music festival….