No-one would tolerate killing six teenagers with methanol-laced alcohol in Australia, as occurred recently in Laos. But in Australia, you can’t check your drugs to see if they’re safe.
In 2015 during the UK government’s House of Commons Home Affairs Committee five-year investigation into drug use, it was made clear that combining deadly drugs such as nitazenes and fentanyl with commonly-used drugs (like cocaine, MDMA, and heroin) led to the death of users.
One of the vital aspects of ensuring people could detect a potentially lethal combination, prior to taking it, was giving them the opportunity to test their drugs.
In 2024 Queensland introduced festival drug-testing for the first time, and opened two fixed-address drug testing units located in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. All three drug-testing facilities were well used, with people of all ages testing drugs before determining if they were going to take them. The new Liberal National government closed them down in 2025 with Queensland’s Deputy Premier, Jarrod Bleijie, saying at the time, ‘We do not tolerate it. We will not allow it, and we will legislate or regulate against those private providers.’
The death rate from drug use is ‘nearly double that of road traffic deaths, with overdoses from opioids, stimulants and benzodiazepines leading that tragic tally,’ Dr Will Tregoning, CEO of Unharm has pointed out in the lead up to International Overdose Awareness Day on 31 August.
NSW conducted successful pill-testing trials across 12 NSW festivals last summer.
‘While there were no sites in Northern NSW during the trial, the initial evidence it produced was clear, and it echoed what advocates, researchers, and grieving families have been saying for years – drug checking works,’ said Dr Tregoning.
An analysis of MDMA-related deaths found that 73 per cent occurred in private residences and just seven per cent at festivals or dance parties.
‘A snapshot of the Penington Institute’s 2026 Annual Overdose Report shows that overdose deaths in Australia reached 2,596 in 2024 – the highest on record, and a 10.7 per cent jump in a single year. More than four in five of those drug-induced deaths were unintentional,’ said Dr Tregoning.
NSW Health commissioned an independent review of 67 studies from around the world. The review found clear evidence that drug-checking services change behaviour, they strengthen market surveillance, and they reach people who wouldn’t normally interact with a health service about their drug use.
‘The need for these services is well established and widely supported. 64 per cent of Australians supported drug checking according to the 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey,’ Dr Tregoning said.
It is time for the NSW government to step up and save lives. It is simple, let people test their drugs before they use them.
Aslan Shand, editor
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