Wednesday the 11th of September 2024
Victorian Legislative Council
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Mental Health. This year there have been multiple reports in Victoria and across Australia of people consuming synthetic opioids, at times without their knowledge and with dangerous consequences. In one case a patient overdosed on vaping THC contaminated with nitazene. This synthetic opioid is 100 times more potent than heroine. Nitazene can cause unconsciousness and overdose within an incredibly short time and in small doses, making the risk of overdose extremely high. It goes without saying that a regulated cannabis market in Victoria would help reduce the harms associated with synthetic opioids in cases where people are using contaminated THC vapes. A regulated market assures consumers that they know what is in the product they are purchasing and what the expected effects will be. The result is access to safer products that are not contaminated with things like pesticides and opioids.
These cases of contaminated THC vapes are part of a wider disturbing trend of synthetic opioids entering the illicit drug market in Australia. There is a clear need for government intervention, and one such intervention that can be used is drug testing. Thankfully this government has taken action in this area. They have committed to drug checking at festivals and other wraparound services. However, gaps in the system remain. We need a proactive surveillance system to deliver rapid responses to drug detection in the community. This is where an overdose event is identified and drug testing is conducted immediately, with real-time alerts given to the community. Rapid responses save lives. They inform people of any particularly dangerous synthetic opioids in circulation and reduce harm. Currently when this kind of testing does happen in Victoria the process can take some time. In the end people often only learn of a dangerous substance circulating in the community through the news, often weeks later or not at all. In these cases time is not on our side. The longer it takes to identify these substances the more lives are at risk. I ask the minister: what is she doing to ensure that Victoria has a strong rapid response system for dangerous synthetic opioids?
Response Received, 11th of October 2024:
I thank the member for South-Eastern Metropolitan Region for her question.
The Allan Labor Government is committed to preventing and reducing alcohol and other drug related harm in the Victorian community – and we proudly take a health-led, harm minimisation approach to reducing these harms.
These efforts have been supported by sustained growth in investment – with annual expenditure toward alcohol and other drug treatment services, supports and harm minimisation efforts more than double 2014 levels.
We understand the significant risk posed by potent synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and fentanyl as the global drug supply is becomes more volatile and unpredictable.
That’s why we continue to invest in Victoria’s drug surveillance programs. These programs use innovative methods like hospital toxicology and drug residue testing to look for emerging drugs, collecting new data every week.
The Department of Health works closely with our surveillance partners and issues drug alerts for the community when it becomes aware of toxic and unexpected substances circulating in Victoria. Since 2020 the department has issued 14 drug alerts and advisories, most recently in July 2024 regarding protonitazene adulterated into cocaine.
We know that sophisticated approaches to drug monitoring are critical to producing timely and actionable public health information that supports Victorians to make safer choices. We are working with our health partners to continue to strengthen our surveillance programs to make sure we reduce harms from the illicit drug market.
As the member is aware, the Allan Labor Government has also committed to implementing both a mobile and fixed site drug checking service from this summer with enabling legislation before the parliament.
The service will be able to test most drugs in pills, capsules, powders, crystals, or liquid form.
In addition to facilitating the provision of important harm reduction information to reduce overdose risk, the mobile and fixed site drug checking service will also generate important data to feed into Victoria’s drug monitoring and alerts capability.
This important initiative comes on top of our previously announced a $95 million Statewide Action Plan (the Plan) to address and reduce drug harms.
This important Plan will provide greater access to vital health and social supports to people who use drugs, greater access to pharmacotherapy treatment – including Victoria’s first and Australia’s largest hydromorphone treatment trial – and increased access to the lifesaving medication, Naloxone.
The Plan is also supporting the expansion of outreach services across the Melbourne CBD, Footscray and Saint Kilda as well as a statewide trial of a overdose prevention and response helpline.
To help ensure that Victoria is well prepared to respond to both current and future challenges – including the threat of potent synthetic opioids, the Plan includes the appointment of Victoria’s first Chief Addiction Medicine Adviser, the establishment of a standing AOD Ministerial Advisory Committee, and the development of an AOD strategy.
The Allan Labor Government is committed to providing evidence-based services and interventions to support Victorians to be happier, healthier and safer.
Ingrid Stitt MP
Minister for Mental Health
Minister for Ageing
Minister for Multicultural Affairs
