QLD becomes first state to ban pill testing in accused overnight "rushing through" of policy amendments

While New South Wales and Victoria have in the last year seen huge success and public support for their announced pill testing initiatives, Queensland's Crisafulli government has shut its own state's hopes down overnight in what some are calling a "rushing through" of policy changes.

Concerns were raised initially in April of this year when two CheQpoint pill-testing sites were forced to close their doors when the government failed to renew their funding. One of those sites, based in Meanjin/Brisbane, was set to reopen this month, assisted by private financing, but following threats of a shutdown by Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, these plans were sidelined.

Those concerns have taken legal form just last night, as the state's LNP government has been accused of rushing legal amendments to the Medicines and Poisons Act, which has now banned drug checking across the state.

These amendments make it so that the Queensland Health director-general cannot be "granting or renewing substance authorities for drug checking."

This perceived "rushing" of these changes has come from the LNP's passing of these amendments through parliament without the scrutiny of the all-party parliamentary committee system. Typically, this system ensures that parliamentary committees can involve witnesses, consider public opinion, and evaluate internal and external documentation before making recommendations about proposed law changes.

The Pill Testing For Queensland Alliance, including groups like The Loop, Australian Medical Association and others, attempted to meet with the government, alongside "health experts and community stakeholders, instead of rushing through" these changes.

In this effort, The Loop Australia's chief executive officer, Cameron Francis, shared that, "All we are asking for is a meeting with the government before they make irreversible legislative changes that could put Queensland lives at risk. This is about respecting democratic process and evidence-based policy making.

We're not asking for anything unreasonable — just a meeting to discuss the evidence before legislative changes are locked in. Taxpayers deserve transparency."

As the ABC reports, "data from CheQpoint's first year of operations to April this year shows the service tested 1,200 drug samples from almost 700 people. About 10 per cent of the samples contained unexpected drugs."

This decision comes as other states appear to deepen their commitment to drug safety and reform. NSW is currently undergoing a year-long pill testing trial at festivals in its state, and along with its own pill-testing trial, Victoria recently saw a permanent home opening in June of this year in Brunswick.

The Queensland government's move coincided with the release of a "previously suppressed" independent report by the University of Queensland, which found that the services provided "valuable harm reduction."

Opposition Leader Steven Miles has called for a parliamentary inquiry into drug checking services as a result of the move. "Outside of the far right of the LNP, just about everyone else agrees that pill testing saves lives, whether that's the Queensland Police, experts, young people or parents," he said.

"Everyone can see how pill testing helps connect people with health professionals and helps make sure that they're not taking substances that will kill them.

To block something that can save lives because of an ideological thought is absolutely wrong."

This week, however, Health Minister Tim Nicholls deepened his party's opposition to pill testing and drug reform, sharing that "We don't support drug dealers. There's no safe way to take drugs. Only the Labor party backed drug dealers in this House."

Much like in other states, Queensland's fight against drug deaths will go on regardless of its government's commitment to pill testing. In 2023, there were 310 deaths reported as 'unintended drug-induced', pointing towards the prevalence of opioids like Nitazene, and increased drug strength. In that same year, the road toll on Queensland roads was 274.

While the Crisafulli government remains staunchly opposed to drug reform, it remains to be seen how they will look to combat an issue that impacts a growing proportion of the population.

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor, find him on Instagram.