In April this year year the STA-SAFE Consortium ran Australia’s first pill testing operation at Groovin The Moo Canberra. It was a huge success on all fronts, identifying and alerting two users to potentially deadly drug samples they otherwise would have taken.
Now Harm Reduction Australia (HRA), an arm of STA-SAFE, is seeking $100,000 in funding to take pill testing in Australia one step further.
Pill testing is becoming a more valid possibility than ever, with Harm Reduction Australia launching a $100,000 fundraiser for more Australian testing operations.
On their website, HRA stressed the importance of volunteer work and donations in the initial trial:
“What is less well known is that the pilot was able to proceed because of the financial and voluntary contributions of HRA, members of the STA-SAFE Consortium and the pro-bono contributions of a number of supporters.”
The testing operation at Groovin The Moo was the result of extensive campaigning from STA-SAFE, HRA, and a number of similarly inclined groups like Sniff Off. Despite such campaigning drug policy remains in a largely backward state throughout Australia, the NSW Police recently coming under fire for stripping concert tickets from Above And Beyond attendees who received false positive sniffer dog screenings.
Donate to Harm Reduction Australia’s pill testing fundraiser here.
