Take a minute to let the Victorian Minister for Health, Martin Foley, know that you want him to support the Coroner's recent recommendations, and our #BeHeardNotHarmed campaign.
What do you need to do?
Simply 'ENTER YOUR RETURN ADDRESS' in the form on this page, and then click 'START WRITING'. We've got a pre-made email for you to quickly send to Foley, but feel free to take your time to adapt it or write your own.
Why did we start this letter campaign?
On the 31st of March 2021, following an investigation into the deaths of five young people from consuming contaminated drugs, Coroner Paresa Spanos of the Coroner's Court of Victoria recommended:
- That the Department of Health, as the appropriate arm of the Victorian Government, implements a drug checking service in the State of Victoria as a matter of urgency, to reduce the number of preventable deaths (and other lesser harms) associated with the use of drugs obtained from unregulated drug markets.
- That the Department of Health, as the appropriate arm of the Victorian Government, implements a drug early warning network in the State of Victoria as a matter of urgency, to reduce the number of preventable deaths (and other lesser harms) associated with the use of drugs obtained from unregulated drug markets.
We know that policy change happens better and faster when policy makers are pressured by the people most impacted by the issue. That’s why we started #BeHeardNotHarmed, a campaigning platform for young people to advocate for more harm reduction services like pill testing, and be heard in drug policy discussions.
You can read more about the Coroner's report here: https://theconversation.com/drug-checking-and-an-early-warning-network-in-victoria-could-save-lives-new-coroners-report-157684
