“This is an area where we know that drug use is quite frequent already, and it’s important that we have our health services located in areas where they are going to do the most to support people in the community,” she said.
Under legislation introduced as part of the changes, it is not illegal to use a drug-checking service.
Stitt said her department had worked with Victoria Police on how to deal with the site.
“We don’t want people to be deterred … Police have discretion around pill-testing services, whether that’s at the mobile services at festivals or whether that’s here at the fixed site, to not charge people with possession,” she said.
“None of this means that it’s legal to have drugs on you in Victoria, but what it does make clear is that it is totally legal to use these life-saving health services.”
Stitt said the site was a discreet location and the operators would engage with local residents and businesses to maintain this and manage any community concerns.
“This service wants to be a respectful and valued neighbour,” she said.
A group already running the mobile testing program will also be responsible for the fixed site. It is made up of the Loop Australia, Harm Reduction Victoria and the Youth Support and Advocacy Service.
Over the summer, five major music festivals were visited by the mobile site and 1400 samples tested.
Authorities also issued two statewide warnings over high-risk pills detected during the process.
Stitt said the program was not about green-lighting drug use.
“This is about recognising that people already take illicit drugs in our community. We have seen some really alarming figures out of the coroner’s investigations that show us that people are losing their lives, increasingly to drug overdose,” she said.
About 91 per cent of users from the mobile program were aged between 18 and 30. Another five festivals will host the mobile site this summer.
Synthetic opioids, which have hit crisis levels in countries such as the US, have increasingly become a concern for authorities at home.
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Nitazenes have been linked to the deaths of 22 people in Victoria since 2021 and hundreds overseas. They are increasingly being detected in mail shipments coming into Australia.
In April, a coronial investigation found four friends had died in a Broadmeadows home in 2024 after inhaling a sutstance they thought was cocaine but was laced with nitazenes.
Sarah Hiley, director of the Victorian pill testing service, said the drug market was more unstable than ever and synthetic opioids were being mixed into recreational drugs.
“Is it worth the risk of not coming to see us?” she said. “People can make their own choices. We’re there to just provide the information. This is a completely confidential and anonymous service. It’s also legal and it’s free, so we really hope that encourages people to come and use the service.”
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The state opposition has previously criticised the pill-testing trial, arguing the mobile testing has significant limitations and education is the best way to reduce harm.
“The biggest risks to festival-goers are overdosing, mixing drugs and alcohol, and overheating. These critical factors aren’t addressed by pill testing,” opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said earlier this month.
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