The Australian state of Queensland has become the first in the country to ban drug testing for recreational users, a decision health experts say could endanger lives.
Queensland ranks as the third-highest state for drug use in Australia, with government data showing around one in five residents reported using illicit drugs in the past year.
Late Thursday, the state government announced it would withdraw funding for drug checking services — programs designed to test the chemical composition of substances and alert users to potentially lethal contaminants.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls defended the move, saying the government is committed to a “zero-tolerance approach to illicit drugs.”
“There is no safe way to take drugs,” Nicholls said. “Drug checking services send the wrong message to Queenslanders.”
But health professionals and harm-reduction advocates say the decision ignores evidence and may lead to preventable deaths, especially with a growing presence of synthetic opioids like fentanyl in the Australian drug market.
Cameron Francis, CEO of The Loop Australia — a non-profit that had been operating a government-funded drug checking pilot in Queensland — said he was “disappointed and saddened” by the government’s decision.
“Without a service like pill testing, we have no idea what is circulating until it’s too late,” he told AFP.
Francis said The Loop’s 12-month trial tested over 1,200 drug samples. Of those, one in seven substances were voluntarily discarded by users after testing, and one in three individuals were referred to additional health services. One in five participants reported they would reduce their drug use as a result.
Health authorities warn that removing access to such services, particularly ahead of the summer festival season, could strain emergency departments.
Dr. Nick Yim, president of the Australian Medical Association’s Queensland branch, said the decision risks triggering a spike in drug-related hospitalisations.
“This could overwhelm emergency departments at a time when they are already under pressure,” he said.
According to national figures, about 3.9 million Australians — roughly 18% of people aged 14 and over — used illicit drugs in the past year. In 2023, there were 1,635 drug-induced deaths across Australia, the majority of them accidental.
While Queensland is now the only Australian state with an outright ban on drug checking, similar services and trials continue in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and New South Wales — home to major cities like Melbourne and Sydney.
Despite the state-level ban, drug testing kits remain available for purchase online.
