Pill testing to go ahead at Schoolies after backflip
The Queensland government remains staunchly against pill testing, but the free and confidential service will go ahead at Schoolies in a matter of weeks.
Pill testing will proceed at the popular end-of-year Schoolies event on the Gold Coast after the Queensland government backflipped on its hardline stance.
The former Labor government committed $80,000 for the free and confidential service to be rolled out for the first time at the annual event attended by thousands of teenagers and young adults.
The Liberal National Party vowed to dump the scheme prior to winning power at the state election in October.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls confirmed on Wednesday that pill testing would go ahead given the event was just a few weeks away.
“Our position remains that there is no safe way to take drugs and pill testing sends the wrong message,” a spokeswoman for the health minister said.
“The contract for pill testing at Schoolies this year was a contract led by the previous government.
“After taking advice so close to the event, the only short-term option is for the Department of Health to honour the contract for this year’s event.”
Australian Medical Association Queensland president Nick Yim welcomed the government’s decision to allow pill testing at Schoolies.
“This demonstrates the current government is keen to seek advice on issues and pill testing was one of those issues,” Dr Yim told ABC Radio.
He called for pill testing to become permanent at the event to prevent injury or death to curious school leavers.
Queensland, the ACT and Victoria are the only jurisdictions to have legalised pill testing, but it could be revoked in the Sunshine State under the LNP government.
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The former government had committed $1 million over two years to fund pill testing, with fixed sites established in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Its first pill-testing service was rolled out at the Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival over Easter weekend in 2024, where 250 people had substances assessed.
It followed calls for increased standardised pill-testing programs at festivals after the deaths of Dassarn Tarbutt, 24, and Ebony Greening, 22, at the 2019 edition of Rabbits Eat Lettuce.
Schoolies takes place on the Gold Coast from November 16 to December 1.
