Drug checking in SA: An essential life-saving intervention
Just as the government mandates seatbelts, helmets, and regulates driving under the influence, it has a duty to implement early intervention and prevention strategies, writes SANDAS executive officer Michael White.
In 2022, South Australia recorded 146 drug-induced deaths—more than double the number of road fatalities (71) that year.
Earlier this year SA Health and SA Police warned of the dangers of synthetic opioid, nitazene (a very strong opioid), after records show the drug was linked to seven deaths and 13 non-fatal overdoses in SA since January 2022.
Recently, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission found that illicit drug use has risen to its highest rate since 2017. We also know that every year many new and dangerous drug are coming in to the market.
While not all deaths are preventable, unintentional overdoses are avoidable. Evidence shows that drug checking, also known as pill testing, can significantly reduce harm and save lives.
Drug checking allows individuals intending to use illicit or non-prescribed pharmaceutical drugs to submit a small sample for analysis. The substance is tested—often on-site—and users receive detailed information about its contents. During this process, trained alcohol and drug counsellors or peer workers engage users in conversations about the risks associated with drug use.
A 2023 evaluation of the ACT’s CanTEST drug checking service (a government funded community based organisation which provides fixed site and event based testing) found that only 53 per cent of tested substances matched users’ expectations. When unexpected or dangerous substances were detected, one-third of users reported they would not consume the drug. Many also chose to use less, discard the substance, or surrender it entirely—especially when informed it contained harmful compounds. These behavioural changes likely prevented overdoses, hospitalisations, and fatalities.
At music festivals, real-time test results can be shared widely, alerting attendees to dangerous substances circulating at the event. This has led to fewer first-aid incidents and hospital transfers. Despite strong evidence, successive South Australian governments—both Liberal and Labor—have resisted implementing drug checking services.
Other states have reversed their stance following spikes in overdose deaths. Public support has also shifted. Recent polling by YouGov and SANDAS shows that over 70 per cent of South Australians now support drug checking.
he main reasons for supporting testing are to prevent harm to people who use drugs, especially young people attending events, prevent overdoses and emergencies, and help identifying dangerous substances in the market and support first responders. With 47 per cent of Australians having used illicit drugs in their lifetime and 17 per cent of South Australians in the past year, the need for harm reduction strategies is urgent.
Drug checking is not a silver bullet, but it is a proven, effective intervention. Drug checking combined with other strategies like intelligence led policing of organised crime and the provision of naloxone, an opioid agonist, which can reverse opioid overdoses.
Just as the government mandates seatbelts, helmets, and regulates driving under the influence, it has a duty to implement early intervention and prevention strategies that reduce harms, risks of death and will ease pressure on the health system.
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This approach is backed by all alcohol and drug peak bodies across Australia, including the Australian Alcohol and Drug Council, and respected health organisations such as the Public Health Association of Australia, the Australian Medical Association, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Royal Australian College of Physicians, and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and many others working in the health and welfare sectors.
It is time for the South Australian community to act before more lives are lost. A model best suited for SA should be developed, trialled and implemented to protect public health and prevent avoidable deaths. We look forward to working with the government, relevant departments, the community sector and the wider community to progress this critical work.
Michael White has been Executive Officer of the South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services (SANDAS) since 2014. Michael’s role is focused on member advocacy and representation, policy development, and systemic improvement of the alcohol, and drug sector. He has worked in the nongovernment and vocational education sectors for over 35 years and holds qualifications in adult and vocational education, quality improvement and management.
