See more information about the Victorian Pill Testing Service (VPTS)
Media Release - Minister Ingrid Stitt, Victorian State Government
The Victorian Government’s Pill Testing Service will be on-site at Victoria’s Pride Street Party to provide festival-goers with life-saving drug checking and harm reduction advice.
Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt today announced the Victorian Pill Testing Service (VPTS) will attend the event on Sunday 8 February to trial the service at the street festival.
Victoria’s Pride Street Party is a chance for LGBTIQA+ Victorians and the wider community to come together and celebrate equality through arts, culture, food and connection.
One in six Victorians use drugs, and pill testing gives party-goers the opportunity to make safer and more informed decisions about their use.
The service can test a range of drugs and if a high-risk substance is detected, the service works with organisers to rapidly warn partygoers through geolocated alerts and event signage.
“This trial is about meeting people where they are – at festivals, events and our Fitzroy fixed site – so we can understand how pill testing can work best in Victoria.” - Minister for Health Ingrid Stitt
At Victoria’s Pride Street Party, the VPTS will provide drug testing and non-judgemental health and harm reduction advice from an experienced team of experts and peers. Even if someone chooses not to use the service, they will receive access to reliable information that supports their health and wellbeing.
This builds on the Victorian Pill Testing Service fixed site in Fitzroy, which has expanded its hours and days of operation over summer, ahead of major events and public holidays.
The rollout comes after a recent drug alert warned of high-dose MDMA circulating in Victoria, highlighting the need for accessible harm-reduction advice over summer.
The Victorian Government is delivering an 18-month implementation trial across different events to reach diverse audiences and learn how pill testing can be delivered most effectively.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt
“Victoria’s Pride Street Party is about community and celebration – and we want people to have the tools and information to stay safe while they enjoy the day.”
Original announcement from the Premier - Pill Testing Coming To Victoria’s Pride Street Party | Premier
More information
If you have any questions about the service, please email harmreduction(at)health.vic.gov.au and info(at)vicpilltesting.org.au or visit www.vicpilltesting.org.au to find out more about the Victorian Pill Testing Service.
