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在澳大利亚和世界各地，越来越多的证据表明，对非法吸毒的零容忍方法无效，实际上，可能会造成（甚至造成）对吸毒者和毒品使用者同样严重的伤害社区。

那么，我们是否问正确的问题并采取正确的方法，在国家毒品战略下建立计划，网络和立法行动？简短的答案是“不完全……”

对于政府决策者和执法机构来说，这是一个重要的讨论，鉴于个人，家庭和更广泛的社区遭受的毒品相关危害，医疗专家，媒体和日常公民也是如此。今年1月在墨尔本观察到了一个非常清晰的例子，其中9名年轻的聚会者“幸运的是他们没有当场死亡”（ABC News, 2018），尽管如此，这几乎是对受影响的用户以及他们的朋友和家人的严重影响。

那么，我们是否问正确的问题并采取正确的方法，在国家毒品战略下建立计划，网络和立法行动？简短的答案是“不完全……”

澳大利亚的药物政策：务实而成功？

Australia’s National Drug Strategy (NDS) is grounded by the principle of harm minimization and comprises three pillars targeting supply, demand and harm reduction. It seeks to prevent the manufacture or importation and sale of drugs through seizure, arrest and other law enforcement practices (e.g. raids, customs checks, etc.), reduce the need for drugs by educating and informing the community, and limiting the harms for the community by providing drug diversion, treatment and rehabilitation programs/services.

The NDS is a longstanding, national framework that since 1985 has shaped several important initiatives in response to the use of drugs (illicit, as well as misuse of alcohol and medications), as well as led to the development of strong networks between drug and alcohol clinicians, policy-makers, police, academic researchers and treatment/support services.

谈论毒品使用以及社区应如何应对这种现象并不是什么新鲜事。例如，在1986年引入针注射器交换计划和2001年在澳大利亚悉尼的医学监督注射中心代表了对海洛因和药物注射习惯的务实反应，这些措施在今天广泛成功并继续进行。

变得坚强

…显然，当前的惩罚性，零容忍政策并不努力限制药物使用或危害的影响。

However, such is the dynamic, shifting and politicized nature of the drug landscape, that the effectiveness of legal and policy responses can be limited or forgotten, particularly when constrained by media-driven community attitudes and populist policy-making. Despite an overall focus on harm reduction, often the drug debate is framed as a ‘problem’ of deviance, criminality and, in particular, youth. This is because, in reality, much of the effort, resources and political action has focused on ‘get tough’ policies and policing young drug users, which has served to criminalize and expose them to stigma, shame and community condemnation, often pushing them away from protective welfare and treatment services and social networks.

This is the situation we now face in Australia where, as further evidence of the failed war on drugs, it is clear that current punitive, zero tolerance policies are not working to limit drug use or the impact of its harms.

If we look to current trends and patterns of use, recent reports reveal young people at dance parties and music festivals continue to use drugs like ecstasy and methamphetamines, often in more potent forms (i.e. ‘MDMA’ and ‘ice’), exposing themselves (and others) to the dangers related to consumption of high-purity, adulterated or poor quality substances.

重返实用主义？

然后，药丸测试可恢复务实和证据信息的政策，以补充现有的减少危害策略，以此来加强澳大利亚对毒品的反应，通过增加我们“知道”。药丸测试涉及派对和节日参与者，并由科学家在现场测试其药物样本，然后他们可以向用户提供有关他们正在服用的信息的信息，以便他们做出更明智的决定。

正如在荷兰，葡萄牙和奥地利等几项国际研究中发现的那样，当通过测试确定有害或意外的物质时，大多数用户选择不食用毒品，并会与朋友分享此警告。此外，在这些情况下，药丸测试鼓励寻求帮助的行为（即康复或咨询），对药物市场的监测以及用户与医疗保健服务之间的互动，以及对药物相​​关风险和两者的支持水平的总体认识提高正式和非正式的社交网络。如果用作更大的减少损害策略的一部分，则药丸测试可以并且确实有效。

By no means is pill testing intended to be a stand-alone “solution”, nor does it condone the use of illicit drugs. Instead, the argument is that we need to change the language of drug use from deviance and criminal justice labels to pragmatic notions of harm and public health, where any policies or programs implemented seek to reduce the harms associated with drug use.

There are examples of such pragmatism in policy and practice in Europe and even in our own history, which we must learn from and apply in Australia if we are to implement better drug policy. Put simply, it is about building knowledge to ensure prevention, education and cultural values of social inclusion so that we can reduce the harms associated with party-drug use and save lives. Pill testing is a part of this process, so it is definitely worth the test.