Pill testing saves lives
Queensland’s only pill-testing service, CheQpoint, is set to close on 4 April after the Crisafulli Government withdrew funding saying “the government does not believe pill testing will help solve issues caused by illicit drugs”.
Last year, CheQpoint tested over 1,000 drug samples and supported nearly 700 individuals with free, confidential health advice.
AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim said cancelling this vital public health service now makes no sense.
“Around 3.4 million Australians used drugs in the past 12 months. Cancelling a pill testing service that keeps people safe is burying your head in the sand,” said Dr Yim.
“Doctors take care of a lot of people impacted by substance use and our job is to make sure they get the help they need.”
“I urge the Queensland Government to reinstate this important and life-saving service.”
Increasingly, CheQpoint has become an early warning system, identifying dangerous drugs before they cause harm.
Only last week, CheQpoint detected a third sample of nitazene, a powerful and highly toxic synthetic opioid that is hundreds of times more potent than morphine and driving overdose deaths across Australia.
Cameron Francis, CEO of The Loop Australia, which oversees CheQpoint, said there is no other system in Queensland that can detect drugs like nitazenes before someone overdoses.
“Queensland is losing one of the only tools we have to prevent deaths—right when these drugs are starting to appear more frequently,” said Mr Francis.
“We shouldn’t have to wait for someone to die before we alert the public.”
“People in Queensland deserve a public health system that warns them about what’s out there—not one that leaves them in the dark.”