Greens announce $40m for illegal drug harm

The Greens want to promote pill testing and safe injecting centres as part of a $40 million fund focused on illegal drug harm reduction.

The Australian Greens would promote the testing of illegal drugs at music festivals as part of a $40 million fund to reduce the harm of illicit substances.

The minor party will on Wednesday launch a plan to establish a Harm Reduction Innovation Fund, which would pour $10 million each year for four years into strategies to reduce harm from illegal drugs.

The fund would promote micro-policy pill testing trials at music festivals, set up safe injecting centres and give grants to peer-based organisations to develop standards for harm reduction.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale will launch the plan at the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy Conference in Sydney.

"The current approach to reducing the harm that illicit drugs cause in our community is not working," the Greens' policy document says.

"Whether in the pursuit of a good time or to ease pain and hardship, drug use remains a consistent practice in our communities."

The Greens want to move away from criminalising the individual to focusing on reducing harm and preventable deaths.