Pill testing, injection rooms would save 'countless lives', drug summit told
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Published December 5, 2024
9 News, 5 December 2024
A major alliance of delegates to the NSW government's 2024 Drug Summit has urged the government to swiftly adopt big reforms like pill testing and more supervised injecting rooms, which it says will save lives across the state.
The Health Services Union, MPs Alex Greenwhich and Jeremy Buckingham, the Uniting Church, not-for-profit Unharm, and other health unions were all among those who delivered the statement at the summit's culmination in Sydney today.
"The status quo is costing lives across NSW and the need for reform is urgent," HSU NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes said.
"We can save lives this summer by implementing practical solutions like festival drug checking and diversion programs while expanding successful programs like the Kings Cross injecting centre to other communities in need."
The statement said pill testing was becoming ever more necessary with an increase in unexpectedly stronger and contaminated drugs, as well as the oncoming hot summer increasing the risk of over-heating and over-dosing.
The delegates also called for laws around drug driving to be modified for medicinal cannabis users, saying it should be treated like impaired driving under other legal substances such as alcohol.
Currently, anybody with even trace amounts of cannabis in their system is driving illegally, regardless of their degree of impairment.
To help those struggling with illegal drugs, the statement also urged the government to open other safe injecting rooms in communities in need, citing the support the facility in Kings Cross, Sydney, had given to thousands of people.
Additionally, they said the government needed to address flaws in the diversion program system.
Introduced to steer low-level drug users away from the criminal injustice system, the summit was told it was not being applied consistently, with members of some communities, particularly Indigenous Australians, rarely being offered diversion.
Meanwhile, addictions involving prescription drugs are also increasing, with patients making use of multiple prescriptions from separate doctors.
The statement called for the government to introduce safeguards and interventions to help.
"We've had enough reports and reviews - it's time for the government to step up and take action on critical reforms that will protect our kids, support our communities, and save countless lives across our state," Hayes said.