Overview

• The centre will open at 95 Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and begin operations in August 2025 with hours from Thursday to Saturday each week.
• Youth Support and Advocacy Service, The Loop Australia and Harm Reduction Victoria will staff the site and offer anonymous testing of pills, powders, crystals and liquids.
• On-site machines can detect fentanyl, nitazenes and other high-risk synthetic opioids linked to recent overdose deaths.
• The fixed facility builds on a mobile trial at five summer music festivals that tested nearly 1,400 samples, revealing 11% did not match users’ expectations.
• About 91% of mobile trial users were aged 18 to 30 and two-thirds reported having their first harm-reduction conversation with a health professional.