Pill Reports acknowledges the Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS), The Loop Australia, and Harm Reduction Victoria for their outstanding work in implementing the first successful onsite drug-checking service in Victoria at the Beyond the Valley Festival, held at Barunah Plains from December 28 to January 1, 2025.
A fixed-site service is scheduled to open in mid-2025. It will be co-located within a healthcare facility and operate from inner Melbourne, close to nightlife and public transportation.
Recent changes to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 provide legal protections for the services, their staff, and clients, ensuring that operating or using the testing service is lawful.
The trial pill testing service is one of Victoria's key health-led harm reduction initiatives.
The pill testing – also known as drug checking – trial is a sensible measure adopted by the Victorian government to keep the 1 in 3 young people who try illicit drugs* safer and more informed.
A fixed site drug checking service will open in mid-2025 at a inner Melbourne location near nightlife and transport, accessible to the 1 in 6 Victorians, of all ages and backgrounds, who use illicit drugs*.
The service will allow Victorians to learn the makeup of pills, capsules, powders, crystals, or liquids, identifying potentially harmful substances including synthetic opioids like fentanyl and nitazenes.
Information provided by the drug checking service will be delivered by health professionals and trained peer workers, who can provide users with confidential support, education and referrals.
The $4 million dollar implementation trial will be used to identify what model works best for Victorians.
The decision to trial drug checking in Victoria is supported by the Australian Medical Association and follows calls from 78 leading health and alcohol and other drug organisations last year urging the government to follow the recommendations from the Victorian Coroners Court after a series of overdoses.
The passing of the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing) Bill 2024, also makes Victoria the first jurisdiction in Australia to have dedicated legislation to support pill testing.
Beyond the Valley is a music festival held over New Year’s Eve in south-western Victoria.
Roughly 35,000 people are expected to attend the 18+ festival, a majority of whom will be under 30. Six youth support and health groups will staff the pop-up pill testing centre and drug information hub.
It will take roughly 15 minutes for drugs to be tested and up to 200 samples can be tested per day. Drug analysis, usually in the form of pills or powders, is used to identify harmful or unexpected ingredients.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan told TDA she was previously sceptical about the effectiveness of pill testing.
However, Allan said since “listening to parents of kids who had either a really terrible experience or kids who’d lost their mates… my perspectives have changed”.
“Young people are smart, they just want the information and we’ve got to give it to them.
“And if we’ve got the opportunity to give them that information and do it in a way that might save a life, then it’s absolutely worth doing.”
The educational environment is transforming, with remarkable change taking place. Physical education now welcomes everyone to participate in activities, not just the fastest or the strongest. Pubertal children with physical or sensory conditions join regular athletic activities. Students are not simply added to competitions; they have taken over sports participation while reshaping how people see sports for the future.
Schools are challenging outdated PE rules through modern changes. Instead of focusing only on dodgeball or sprinting, education programs now fit the needs of every individual body. School teachers receive training to comprehensively understand students' physical, emotional, and social development needs. Modern physical education mirrors the customization strategy of online casino by adopting adaptability as its fundamental principle. People can create opportunities for everyone to become outstanding, regardless of their original position.
The adjustment provides more than equal treatment. Students with disabilities succeed in their educational journey if proper equipment and coaching support are provided. The number of students participating in adaptive PE programs has increased twice. The advanced version of athletics serves as quality athletic competition instead of traditional charity donations.
Governments are funding this change along with providing training and developing supporting policies. Here's what's pushing it forward:
- Educational institutions must provide equal opportunities through the physical education policy established by IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
- Every district must eliminate discrimination in physical education.
- Several funding programs distribute grants that purchase adaptive equipment and provide staff training.
- Various states have integrated inclusive PE into their school graduation requirements through legislation.
By implementing these policies, schools generate access while developing genuine pride among athletes.
PE teachers now treat adaptive sports with elevated seriousness as part of their instructional curriculum. The various sports activities transform student relationships, allowing them to develop and experience personal visibility. Sports programs at Melbet India share the same level of enthusiasm, supporting community involvement and making every second significant in creating sports participation. Every student who joins a sports team following these adaptive sports experiences genuine strength development, enhanced focus, and authentic confidence building.
Wheelchair basketball experiences massive growth beyond its status as a popular sport. Wheelchair leagues have been established in California, Illinois, and other United States schools. Young people who did not participate in team sports now engage in training activities and tournament competitions, leading to travel participation. The game moves fast while producing loud noise and excitingly delivers brutal physical elements.
Other wheelchair sports, including tennis, racing, and fencing competitions, continue to grow. Students without disabilities participate in co-ed games alongside their classmates with disabilities, producing an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging in the team.
The competitive strategy developed for this sport outshines traditional sports in every regard, although it targets visually impaired student-athletes. Competing athletes maintain full blackout coverings as they dive toward the ball that has weights and bells inside. The regulations force students to develop intense concentration abilities and work together as a unit. San Paulo, Brazil, Turkey, and the United States hold a top spot on the global Goalball scene.
Schools now introduce sound-guided soccer, guided track exercises, and a range of obstacle courses that use tactile elements. In these games, all sensory experiences function except the ability to see. These games require players to rely on trust functions while they move according to their instincts.
Any adaptive program depends on educators who receive training before implementation. Most PE instructors do not have proficiency in wheelchair rugby instruction or expertise in guiding blind students through gym activities. Modern education systems now integrate adaptive sports training within their university teaching curricula. Educational institutions are witnessing an increase in workshops and expanding their online certification programs.
Educational professionals now acquire methods for adapting drills while learning to operate inclusive educational equipment and develop leadership skills in competition management. Their essential skill development transforms their leadership approach from pity to empathy. The way educators interact with students changes when they develop a complete understanding of their pupils. Fundamental changes emerge within fitness spaces because instructors implement individual teachings, starting from the auditoriums.
The process involves more than sports because it establishes dignity through practical advancement while actively implementing fairness measures. The successful points scored by a student who used a wheelchair serve as more than individual accomplishments because they dismantle society's historical limitations. Educational institutions now understand what has been ignored for many decades, which proves that giftedness appears through multiple types rather than one standard category, and successful expression requires proper conditions.
Few disputes in professional basketball draw as much attention as that of superteams in the NBA. When already good players decide to join up — usually by their own volition, not via trades or drafts — fans and analysts are left debating whether this is the best turn of events for the league, or is, instead, killing its long-standing competitive spirit.
While the world of sports is still trying to adjust to the era of player empowerment, the pandemic era of dominance topped up with the Warriors signing Kevin Durant as the ‘Big 4’ fuels the debate on whether the league's endless all-star-stacking is advantageous or detrimental.
The concept of superteams is not something unique or outlandish. It would not be incorrect to consider the maverick ‘80s Celtics and Lakers as the initial versions who fought in the Finals repeatedly as they were stuffed with Hall of Famers. These teams, however, developed from the draft or trades far more than collusion strategies among players.
Things changed in 2010 when Dwyane Wade teamed up with LeBron James and Chris Bosh in Miami. Suddenly, players weren’t just employees in the industry - they were calling the shots in terms of where to play and which of their fellow athletes to partner with. Athletes had complete free will and mobility to relocate, sign with new leagues, and determine the sport franchises they wanted to join, which enabled them to win championships with their peers.
That transformation influenced the way fans consume the sport. Now, they follow the offseason trades and signings the same way they did in the postseason. Also, every discussion went from revolving around team names to contracts worth of hundreds of millions as well as the strategies surrounding finances and team composition, totally transforming everything from clothing and gear purchases to online betting app Bangladesh which alter the odds they present based on franchises’ new hires.
Nobody can argue the fact that ‘super teams’ draw attention from the masses. Multi-Star matchups transform ordinary season games into epic entertainment spectacles that capture the attention of millions around the globe. Ticket sales become record setting, and television and social media interaction skyrockets. For the NBA as a whole, especially in new growing markets, and the league’s emerging markets, this is essential.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has mentioned that lopsided matchups can spark interest among casual fans. It makes it simpler to advertise games with big names such as Curry, Durant, and LeBron. Younger fans or international viewers who are new to basketball usually tend to look up to and watch highlight reels of the sport. These videos serve as their ticket into the sport.
And how can we ignore the show put on by these teams? The Warriors were, and still are, a defining franchise in the NBA. The electrifying style by which the Warriors blew opponents away was poetry in motion, whether it was ball movement or shooting. They not only set records for the most wins, but also broke records for the most efficient and electrifying teams in the NBA.
Top Heavy competitions have their pros and cons, Super teams are one right bang of that. The super teams excite fans till the very end, although raise questions about competition balance within the league. With three or four franchises stacking elite talent, it becomes tough for the rest of the NBA to keep up. Market teams like Sacramento, Orlando or Indiana usually do not have any appealing stars available, even when they offer maximum contracts.
This creates a lack of balance in terms of competitiveness. Supporters in these regions often feel ignored while their teams are being treated as assets, stepping stones, or trade fodder. And while run-their-mouth Cinderella playoff runs, like the 2023 Miami Heat, do blossom some optimism, it’s the exception rather than the rule.
Critics argue that predictable Finals matchups and minimal inequality can be damaging to long-term investment. When three teams overpower the rest for five years, interest from other cities might dip. The same goes for fantasy leagues and casual betting, which lose their charm when the Victor seems obvious.
In order to blur these lines, the NBA has implemented measures such as luxury tax and the updated collective bargaining agreement, both of which punish teams too deeply invested in the luxury tax for maintaining over inflated rosters. The intention is to decrease the ease with which franchises can protect superteams for extended periods of time.
But it’s not enough to fully eliminate the threat of superteams. Players continue using their imagination to mid-season adjust their contracts and offer greater change flexibility. It’s this type of flexibility that keeps the supersized threat alive — adding spectator drama on and off the field.
To boost the engagement of their fans, social platforms such as MelBet are providing off-court drama updates, highlight videos, and player updates, keeping everyone guessing about player transfers. NBA drama has flooded social media, and social media incorporates it into stories, statistics, and strategic gameplay.
Formidable super teams have left vast imprints on the league; are they good or bad for audiences? Their impact can be viewed from different perspectives. Undoubtedly, they create sensational memories for fans or attract newer audiences, however, they disrupt the harmony which balances competitiveness across sports.
Looking at things from a long-term perspective, a lean policy on how player movements can be exercised may help the NBA more efficiently utilize roster development. The Mavericks and Nuggets showed that simply nurturing raw talent through drafting can still procure victory, and their surge in winning championships brings hope to the narrative.
Whether you want to defend the newest season of an undefeated super team or cry for the savior underdog, the debate on super teams and their influence on the NBA is ongoing. That constant change is the most entertaining of all, and the direction the league is headed into is purely exciting.
Drug alert
Pentylone in orange ‘Nike tick’ pills
The pills contain both pentylone and MDMA and are described as orange-coloured, brick-shaped tablets with a ‘Nike tick’ design. Pentylone is also circulating in other forms.
Pentylone is a ‘synthetic cathinone’ that’s potent and unpredictable
Pentylone is a type of stimulant called a ‘synthetic cathinone’. Synthetic cathinones can produce similar effects to more common stimulants like methamphetamine or MDMA (ecstasy), but cathinones appear to be more potent (smaller amounts produce strong effects). People who have used synthetic cathinones report that they produce less euphoria and psychedelic effects compared with MDMA, and that these effects wear off more quickly. This can lead to people taking more, increasing the risk of negative effects and toxicity.
Higher doses of synthetic cathinones can lead to long periods of sleeplessness and muscle twitching, increased risk of agitation, paranoia and hallucinations, and toxic effects such as overheating and heart problems.
Synthetic cathinones are being sold as MDMA in various forms, linked to hospitalisations
There have been a number of recent cases in Victoria where people requiring emergency care have reported using MDMA, but blood tests have shown synthetic cathinones. Cathinones detected recently in Victoria include pentylone, dipentylone, dibutylone, dimethylone, eutylone and methylone. In most of these cases the cathinones were apparent adulterants in products that also contained MDMA. In others, people had been mis-sold cathinones as substitutes for MDMA. Synthetic cathinones may appear as crystals, powders, tablets or capsules.
Consuming synthetic cathinones with other stimulants – such as MDMA in the orange ‘Nike tick’ pills – will increase the risk of toxic effects. Using cathinones with psychedelics like LSD (acid) will increase the risk of dysphoria (bad trip), agitation, and behavioural disturbances that place people at immediate risk.
Stimulants can also interact with a range of medications, including those used to treat depression and anxiety. Commonly used medications that may interact with stimulants and increase the risk of toxic effects include ‘SSRIs’, ‘SNRIs’ and ‘TCAs’. Always seek information about your medications before mixing with other substances.
A big thanks to Jodi Lee from 7 News for reporting on this dangerous combination.
Drug warning - Variable dose and high dose MDMA tablets/capsules
Consumption of high doses of MDMA (ecstasy) has been linked to cases of serious illness and death in New South Wales (NSW). These illnesses and deaths were a result of MDMA toxicity itself, not as a result of contaminated or fake MDMA tablets or capsules.
While consumption of one MDMA tablet/capsule alone can kill, the risk of toxicity is greatly increased if multiple MDMA tablets or capsules are consumed over a short period, or if MDMA is consumed in combination with other stimulant substances (such as methamphetamine or cocaine).
The dose of MDMA tablets and capsules recently circulating in NSW varied by up to 10 fold. Higher dose MDMA tablets have also been recently identified in NSW.
The average dose in some of these tablets is two to three times the dose commonly found in MDMA tablets and capsules circulating in NSW.
Consumption of MDMA may result in extremely unpleasant adverse effects, serious illness or death.
The higher dose tablets were yellowish green “SpongeBob” rectangular shaped tablets, and blue triangular/shield shaped tablets, stamped with a “TESLA” logo.
Avoid consumption of these tablets.
Adverse effects may include severe agitation and paranoia, raised body temperature, seizures (fits), heart rhythm problems and death.
Seek help immediately if you, or someone you know, has consumed MDMA tablets and experiences adverse effects.
Seek help from your nearest emergency department, call Triple Zero (000) for emergency assistance, or phone the NSW Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26).
Of 52 MDMA seized samples analysed, dose per capsule/tablet ranged from approximately 20mg to 200mg.The average dose of MDMA in the yellow/green “SpongeBob” tablets analysed was approximately 200mg, and the average dose in the blue “TESLA” tablets analysed was approximately 130mg.MDMA is likely to be incompletely mixed and inconsistently distributed through these tablets. Absorption and time to peak effect may also be highly variable
Original Article Here
Victoria could have pill-testing as early as next year, under new legislation set to be introduced by the Victorian Greens.
A draft of the legislation was revealed today, which sets out what the service would look like.
The Bill calls for two pill-testing services to be trialed for two years: a free mobile pill-testing facility to be used at festivals and a fixed-site lab for drug analysis.
Both sites would be reviewed after one year and have the potential for a four-year license extension.
The ACT is currently the only jurisdiction in Australia to allow pill-testing.
Drug law reform spokesperson for the Victorian Greens, Dr Tim Read, said it was time for Victoria to follow suit.
"We need to change the culture of drug use in Australia, and the first step is treating drug use as a health issue," he said.
"We must acknowledge the current approach is resulting in unintended consequences and instead choose policies that have worked elsewhere.
It's time to get over the stigma and just test the pills."
The bill has the support of several crossbenchers and will be formally introduced to Parliament before this year’s summer festival season.
The legislation would be named Daniel's Bill, after Daniel Buccianti, who died from a drug overdose at Rainbow Serpent Festival in 2012.
Daniel's mum, Adriana, has been a passionate advocate for pill-testing since her son's death and supports the Greens' bill.
https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/victoria-could-trial-pill-testing-by-2020/11384104
''Although unadulterated MDMA capsules have been common in eastern Canada since 2017, pure N-ethylpentylone (also called ephylone, or BK-EBDP) has lately made its way into the streets of Montreal and was reported to be sold as MDMA in capsule form. An official warning has yet to be issued as most users are unaware of this designer drug. This compound is far more toxic than MDMA and may cause death at high dosage but still within the range of what heavy MDMA users would ingest.
The appearance of the drug or the subjective user's experience of the drug aren't good indicators of its nature. N-ethylpentylone may look like MDMA and feel similar to MDMA. Marquis drug reagent test is your best ally as it will turn bright yellow if it is N-ethylpentylone instead of purple/black for MDxx.''
Anonymous concerned Montreal citizen.
A new drug masquerading as ecstasy has experts worried after six kilograms were netted in a bust by Wellington police this week.
Wendy Allison, director of free drug testing service Know Your Stuff, says many who believe they're taking ecstasy are actually taking something far more dangerous.
"In our testing this season approximately 25 percent of substances brought us as MDMA have turned out not to be, and of those the majority have been n-ethylpentylone."
N-ethylpentylone is a newcomer to New Zealand, only being detected in the country late in 2017. It's cheap and easy to manufacture, but is also far more toxic if it's taken in the same dosage as ecstasy.
Full article here:
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/health/2018/03/police-concerned-by-emergence-of-new-drug-n-ethylpentylone-sold-as-ecstasy.html
Please read this excellent article on NB Pentylone and N-ethyl-pentylone detection by The Loop in the UK.
"... with all the valerones being more potent than MDMA, the mis-selling of valerones as ecstasy causes added concern given that an amount that could be considered an ‘average’ dose of MDMA would be a very strong dose of any of these impostors."
"NB Pentylone and N-ethyl-pentylone can also both be detected at home with [Marquis] drug reagent tests as they turn bright yellow instead of purple/black for MDMA."
Pillreports is a global database of Ecstasy" pills based on both subjective user reports and scientific analysis. "Ecstasy" is traditionally the name for MDMA based pills, however here we also include closely related substances such as MDA, MDEA, MBDB. Pills sold as "Ecstasy" often include other, potentially more dangerous, substances such as methamphetamine, ketamine and PMA.