Newsletter December 2024

As Christmas approaches, we have good news to share.

 

Politicians are waking up to the reality that our drug laws are dangerous and that urgent reform is needed to save lives.

Pill testing is now underway in Queensland and Victoria, and in a welcome backflip, NSW has announced a trial this summer.

Public sentiment is finally catching up with the harm reduction principles our community has championed for years.

 

Now, let’s dive into the latest news.

Breaking_News_23.png

 

NSW Backflips on Pill Testing

In a dramatic turnaround, last Thursday, the NSW Premier Chris Minns announced a pill testing trial for the state’s 2025 summer festival season.

While the announcement confirmed the government’s general intention to launch a pill testing pilot, it offered no details on how or where it would take place, nor did it propose fixed-site testing facilities like those announced in Queensland and Victoria.

Nonetheless, we are delighted with the win and thank all our supporters for helping get this life-saving initiative across the line.

 

DRUG ALERT: Nitazene Detected

In December, Nitazenes, were detected in counterfeit oxycodone tablets at pill testing sites in Brisbane and Canberra. Two unrelated hospitalisations for fake oxycodone containing nitazene were also reported in New South Wales.

Nitazene-Alert.jpg

Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that can be up to 500 times more potent than heroin and up to 50 times stronger than fentanyl, posing a high risk of accidental overdose.

Nitazene test strips are diagnostic tools that detect nitazenes in various substances. They provide a quick and easy method to check if drugs have been adulterated with known nitazenes.

 

Nitazene test strips are available in our online shop.

 

The Flat NSW Drug Summit

The highly-anticipated New South Wales Drug Summit has ended not with a bang, but an underwhelming whimper.

Instead of bold reforms, it felt more like a box-checking exercise to fulfil an election promise and crow about modest funding increases.

Calls to decriminalise drug use and possession dominated the summit, despite Premier Chris Minns and Health Minister Ryan Park having ruled out any such reform in the lead-up to it.

Although a pill testing trial was announced post-summit, most AOD attendees and advocates deemed the event a missed opportunity.

The Government promised a report in early 2025, but after waiting 18 months for the Summit, don’t hold your breath.

Read more on the Drug Summit here.

 

Good_news.png

 

Victoria’s first pill testing trial at Beyond the Valley Festival

Music festival, "Beyond the Valley", will host Victoria’s first pill testing facility since legislation was passed in September.

Police operations will continue alongside the pill-testing trial. However, Police and BTV have assured festival-goers that police will not aggressively monitor people accessing the pill-testing service.

 

Victoria Passes Cannabis Driving Laws Amendment

Until now, drivers who tested positive for cannabis — regardless of actual impairment — risked losing their licence in every Australian state except Tasmania.

But thanks to a landmark amendment by the Legalise Cannabis Party, medicinal cannabis users in Victoria will be able to drive with THC in their system, as long as they have a valid prescription and are not impaired.

This amendment gives magistrates the discretion to assess each case rather than imposing mandatory penalties on drivers. We congratulate the Legalise Cannabis Party for championing this reform and commend the government for backing it.

The new law comes into effect on March 1, marking a major step forward for medicinal cannabis patients.

 

QLD Schoolies Pill Testing Goes Ahead

In promising news, pill testing at the Schoolies event on the Gold Coast was a resounding success despite the new LNP government’s reservations.

According to The Loop Australia, 50% of participants noted they would reduce their drug use, and 10% threw away their pills after engaging with the pill testing site.

Although the LNP voted against the program while in opposition, it has warmed to the concept since taking power and has not committed to any changes.

 

RACP Calls for Decriminalisation

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), one of Australia’s most prestigious and respected medical bodies, has backed reform to existing drug legislation focusing on decriminalisation. In a powerful call for decriminalisation, the December statement said, 

"To reduce the harm from drugs, the Government must consider decriminalisation to keep people from interacting with the justice system...Evidence shows that criminalisation of drug use for personal possession does not improve any outcomes – not for people who use drugs, their families, and the community."

Read more.

 

Free Naloxone Now Available

The national Take Home Naloxone program has finally been implemented with stocks of naloxone now available for free at participating chemists.

Naloxone is a drug that temporarily reverses the effects of opioids and can be used to treat an overdose.

Follow this link to search for your nearest Take Home provider.

 

New Drug Alert Website - ‘The Know’

‘The Know’ is a fantastic online resource that collates drug alerts from government and community organisations across Australia.

By offering prompt updates that are easily accessible, ‘The Know’ supports drug-related harm reduction in Australia.

Follow this link to access the alerts.

 

Meet Cooper Verdon, Our New Advocacy & Fundraising Manager

cooper-city-fundraising.jpg

We are excited to welcome Cooper Verdon as our new Advocacy and Fundraising Manager.

Cooper has been developing a street-based advocacy program to promote our reform agenda and raise donations from the public.

We wish Cooper every success in the new role.

 

Support Drug Policy Australia (Help Us Save Lives)

As overdose deaths continue to rise and highly potent synthetic opioids enter the Australian market, drug policy reform has never been more urgent.

One person dies of an overdose every four hours. Many of these deaths can be prevented.

Having recovered from my own heroin addiction, I have an intimate understanding of how ineffective our current drug laws are. The laws did not help me then, and they are not helping the thousands of Australian families who need help today.

This is why I teamed up with Dr. John Sherman, an addiction specialist with over 45 years of experience, to create Drug Policy Australia.

At Drug Policy Australia, we are committed to advocating for evidence-based reform to the presently outdated and ineffective drug laws. But we need your help.

As a small self-funded charity, we do not accept government funding, which would compromise our ability to advocate for reform. We rely on your generosity to continue our work for sensible drug policies that reduce harm and promote human rights.

All donations are tax-deductible.

 

At-Home Drug Testing Kits Available

The dangerous rise in novel and impure substances on the Australian market has potentially fatal implications for people who use drugs.

Detecting what is in your drugs can be the difference between life and death.

As part of our campaign for pill testing and to make people safer, we sell reagent drug testing kits on the Drug Policy Australia online shop.

 

Passionate about Drug Policy Reform?

Join our Reformers Club – a community of experts, activists and supporters working together to discuss strategies for change.

As a Reformers Club member, you will gain access to:
Monthly online forums with Drug Policy Australia directors and industry leaders;

  • Exclusive member benefits;
  • A community of like-minded individuals;
  • Discounts at DPA events and on our online shop; and
  • A free campaign T-shirt OR a copy of Johann Hari’s critically acclaimed book, ‘Chasing the Scream’.

Join the movement. Sign up now for the Reformers Club.

 

How to: Argue the Case for Reform

Want to talk about drug policy reform with your loved ones but are not sure how?

Download our free e-book, and equip yourself with the tools to educate your friends and family on the ins and outs of drug reform.

Join the fight

Download the Case for Reform E-book here.

 

Fentanyl Expected In 2025

Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate 50 times more potent than heroin, responsible for 60,000 overdose deaths in the US last year and, according to the Australian Federal Police, is soon to arrive in Australia.

Fentanyl Test Strips

Fentanyl test strips (FTS) provide a quick and easy means of detecting fentanyl, giving results in less than a minute through a simple dip test. They can be the canary in the coal mine, alerting consumers and health professionals to potential danger.

Having adequate supplies of these test strips available through Needle and Syringe Programs could save many lives in the event of an influx of fentanyl into illicit drug markets.

We are one of the few organisations importing Fentanyl test strips into Australia and are making them available to Needle and Syringe services to meet expected demand.

If you or someone you care about is using drugs, please consider purchasing some Fentanyl test strips that detect the presence of Fentanyl and many of its analogues.

We stock these in our shop for your convenience.

DanceSafeFentanyl_testing_stripsx720.jpg

 

Support Drug Policy Australia

A global shift is occurring, but things are not moving fast enough. Overdose deaths continue to rise, and fentanyl and nitazenes are becoming an ever-present threat in Australia.

There is a better way!

Finally, thank you for your continued support and dedication to drug policy reform. Together, we are making a difference by advocating for policies that prioritise health, dignity, and human rights.

Let's carry this momentum into 2025 and beyond!

Recent responses

Get Involved and Join the Movement