Year 12 graduates celebrating in the Gold Coast will have access to free and confidential pill testing. 

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Running over a 3 week period in 2024 - from 16th November til 8th December, Queensland’s Miles government has allocated $80,000 for a site near the entertainment precinct, Surfers Paradise.

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For young people unsure what to expect, the Minister for Health, Shannon Fentiman has confirmed the service will be free to use, voluntary, and confidential. CheQpoint, the established drug-checking site in Bowen Hills, describes the process as follows:

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1. Take a small sample of your substance to one of the drug-checking services. It will be photographed and catalogued. Samples provided will not be returned.
2. The service will ask for anonymous information for the purpose of delivering a tailored drug information and harm reduction session once the chemist has finished analysis.
3. You will receive the results and have the opportunity to discuss the results. This opportunity will be framed around harm reduction, including information on the substance(s) and strategies to reduce risks. Some results may involve secondary lab testing and the chemist or health care worker will discuss this with you.

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Pill testing is the most accurate method for determining the purity and content of substances, while checking for unwanted elements such as counterfeit products, toxic or lethal drugs, and contaminants. 

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Recent data from CheQpoint showed, during its first month’s of operation, of 80 samples tested 74 percent were commonly recognised unregulated substances. However, 12 percent of samples were novel psychoactive substances, 3 percent less common substances and 8 percent of unknown drugs. With lethal novel substances, like fentanyl and nitazenes being smuggled onto Australia’s shores, pill testing is urgently needed to keep communities safe from harm.

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A key part of the pill testing service are the proven benefits, including behavioural changes which lead to reduction in risky drug use practices, safer substance use, informed decision-making, promoting honest conversations without judgement, and an overall enhancement in public health and safety by reducing incidences of drug-related harm.

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From the CheQpoint data, more than half of those people chose to discard the drugs on site and a further 16 percent reported they would discard the substances themselves. Fentiman said, “We know these sites can [help] people make informed choices…Without these services, we miss a unique opportunity to engage with Queenslanders about the harms of drug use.”

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This safety initiative for young people is supported by Schoolies chief executive Matt Lloyd, who welcomed the service at the event this year, saying, “If the pill testing service saves one life, it's worthwhile." 

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Data National Drug Strategy Household Survey showed that more than one third of young women have taken an illicit drug in the last 12 months, up from 27 per cent in 2019, a statistic that concerns the Health Minister. 

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The Miles Government has previously collaborated with Pill Testing Australia at Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival and has  committed $1 million to drug-checking services as part of the $1.645 billion Better Care Together plan to reduce the harms of alcohol and drug use. However, this vital service will be abolished if the Liberal National Party are elected into power this election cycle. 

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If you are heading to Surfers Paradise for your Schoolies, and especially if you are planning to take drugs, visit the pill testing experts to learn about what is in your drugs. Accidental deaths happen. Do not let that be you, or your friends.  

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