Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (17:48): (2126) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health and relates to schedule 9 permits. I have recently become aware of a consultation document published by the Department of Health in August this year proposing to restrict permits for schedule 9 poisons for human therapeutic use under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017 to clinical trials only. The effect will be to limit, amongst other things, the currently approved medical use of MDMA and psilocybin outside of clinical trials. This will be a highly regressive change. Given the growing level of evidence supporting the use...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (18:05): (2122) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police, and the action I seek relates to opioid overdose. As the minister is very aware, there was a recent sizeable seizure of fentanyl coming in via a Melbourne port. As we all know, the potential to dramatically heighten the risk of accidental overdose in this state is now apparent with fentanyl hitting our shores. But overdose death is entirely preventable, even with fentanyl, by using Nyxoid, a naloxone nasal spray. It is an opiate agonist that reverses the life-threatening effects of a known or suspected...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (18:20): (2100) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health and the action I seek pertains to pharmacotherapy. Methadone and buprenorphine are used in the treatment of opioid dependence, and on International Overdose Awareness Day I think it is really important to note their life-saving and life-changing potential. The prescription of methadone and buprenorphine has been proven to reduce health, social and economic harms caused by dependence on either illicit or licit opioids, most importantly reducing illness and deaths and helping people to stabilise and lead more productive lives. But these programs only work when...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (18:14): (2075) My adjournment matter is for the Assistant Treasurer, and the action I seek relates to government procurement. Recently I visited Etiko clothing in Brunswick on Sydney Road. It is part of our office’s ‘F*** fast fashion’ campaign. The campaign is highlighting the unsustainable textile waste in Australia, and the primary solutions are pretty simple: buy local; buy ethical; buy less; and stitch, don’t ditch. Etiko are a champion in these areas, and I was really pleased to meet with Nick Savaidis and his team to discuss their wonderful sustainable practices. There is no child...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (2067) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health and relates to chronic pain. One in five Victorians are affected by chronic pain. Nationally over 3 million Australians live with chronic pain, which results in more than $73 billion in lost productivity annually. It is debilitating. Despite its prevalence, sufferers continue to feel stigmatised, particularly when interacting with medical professionals. Interactions can involve ignorance or the thinly veiled suspicion of addiction. Patients often feel forced to prove their diagnosis is legitimate, over and over again. Honestly, it’s just not fair, where life is...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (20:55): (2041) My adjournment matter relates to eating disorders and the lack of an eating disorder strategy. We know that an eating disorder is a serious mental illness and we know that it is characterised by a whole range of issues, whether that is behaviours and attitudes to food and eating or whether it is a preoccupation with exercise and body weight and shape. We have certainly all seen in the media the significant rise in eating disorders over COVID. In some ways, when I met with Eating Disorders Victoria just last week—I hate to say it—I...

  MS PATTEN — To ask the Minister for Employment (for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety):