When it comes to drugs and alcohol, education and awareness are vitally important. By educating people about the risks and effects of drug and alcohol use, we can help ensure they make informed choices. Such as not showing up to work under the influence or driving in an unsafe condition. In some instances, this education can be lifesaving, helping to prevent accidents, injuries and even fatalities.
Another way that education can help reduce serious health issues and fatalities is in helping people understand exactly what’s in the drug they intend to take. While somewhat controversial, pill or drug testing sites can play an important role in drug and alcohol education.
CanTEST celebrates two years in operation
Australia’s first fixed-site drug testing service recently ticked off two years of operation.
The CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service in the ACT plays an important role in keeping people safe, by providing chemical analysis of drugs and pills. In the two years CanTEST has operated, it has helped the community by providing important information about drugs to inform people’s choices and help them to reduce drug-related harm.
According to the ACT Government Minister for Population Health, Emma Davidson, the drug testing that CanTest performs can saves lives.
“Over its two years of operation, CanTEST has tested over 2,900 samples and provided over 4,000 health and alcohol and other drug interventions,” Minister Davidson said.
“The ACT Government is committed to treating substance use as a health issue, not a criminal issue. People take drugs. Removing the stigma to have honest conversations about your health can save your life.”
What drugs are most commonly tested at CanTEST?
The drugs that are most commonly tested at CanTEST, according to an ACT Government media release, are MDMA, ketamine and cocaine, followed by methamphetamine and heroin.
However, as highlighted by Minister Emma Davidson, when it comes to drugs often all is not what it seems.
“Half of the drugs tested were found to contain a substance that the person didn’t expect to see,” Minster Davidson said. In other words, a drug sold as cocaine or MDMA also contained other substances. In some cases, these substances have been highly dangerous.
As reported by ABC News, CanTest’s finds have included methamphetamine discovered in a counterfeit diet pill and a synthetic opioid thought to be 25 times stronger than fentanyl.
“The testing allows CanTEST to alert the community about substances that have appeared at the service, including some that were particularly high risk,” Minister Davidson said.
Is the drug testing changing behavours?
While the drug testing obviously provides an important service, the real question is whether it is changing people’s behavior. There are certainly promising signs.
For example, of 1,153 samples tested in the first year of operation, 136, or 12 per cent, were voluntarily discarded by the person who bought them after receiving the testing results from CanTest. In the second year, 170 of 1,786 samples, or 10 per cent, were voluntarily discarded.
“Programs like this lead drug harm reduction and support our community to make healthier choices,” Minister Davidson adds.
“The evaluation of the first six months of this service by the Australian National University found that many people changed their behaviour, either through discarding or not using a substance or changing their behaviours to further reduce potential harm.
“It also showed that for over two-thirds of clients, this service was their first interaction with a health professional to discuss their drug use.”
The ACT government has announced it will extend CanTEST’s funding until June 2027.
FEATURED IMAGE CAPTION:
The ACT is taking a can-do approach to drug testing and education and it’s likely saving lives.
