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Mattersofsubstance Mattersof Substance. august 2015 Volume 26 Issue No.3 www.drugfoundation.org.nz Taking the pulse of Māori public health Restoring equality and addressing health outcomes for Ma¯ori comes with many challenges. CONTENts FEATURE Taking the STORY pulse of 18 Māori public health COVER: Health inequalities for Mäori remain, but much progress is being made getting the right sort of help COVER ABOUT STORY 06 28 A DRUG WORLD NEWS FEATURE: 02 THE CRUEL C 14 $ $ $ $ ? FEATURES Become 06 14 18 24 a member Taking the pulse of The cruel C The UNGASS A school’s Maori public health With hepatitis C rates 2016 primer core business The New Zealand Drug Foundation has Health inequalities for growing, is there any A comprehensive Focusing on a positive school been at the heart of major alcohol and Mäori remain, but much relief in sight? introduction to the environment means alcohol other drug policy debates for over 20 years. progress is being made UN’s special session on and other drugs aren’t such During that time, we have demonstrated getting the right sort the world drug problem a big deal at Ötaki College a strong commitment to advocating of help policies and practices based on the best evidence available. You can help us. A key strength of the Drug Foundation lies in its diverse membership REGULARS base. As a member of the Drug Foundation, you will receive information about major The Director’s Cut 01 alcohol and other drug policy challenges. You can also get involved in our work to 30 34 36 Events 01 find solutions to those challenges. GUEST EDITORIAL OPINION Q&A News 02 Our membership includes health promoters, Alcohol advertising: A brave new drug Toni-Marie Matich About a Drug 28 primary health and community organisations, what’s the problem? policy Bringing clarity and Viewpoints 32 researchers, students, schools and boards It’s time something is done The new National Drug compassion to the of trustees, policy makers, and addiction Q&A 36 about runaway alcohol Policy shows much promise medicinal cannabis debate treatment agencies and workers. advertising, says Professor but remains silent on the Mythbusters 37 Sandra Jones path to much needed drug Membership and subscription enquiries law reform [email protected] or visit our website. www.drugfoundation.org.nz matters of substance is published matters of substance invites Brand development/ NZ Drug Foundation by the New Zealand Drug feedback and contributions. graphic design 4th Floor, 265 Wakefield Street Foundation. All rights reserved. If you’re interested in Insight +64 4 801 6644 PO Box 3082, Wellington, Neither this publication nor any contributing a guest editorial [email protected] New Zealand part of it may be reproduced or article, please contact us: www.designedbyinsight.com p +64 4 801 6303 matters of substance without prior permission of the [email protected] August 2015 Drug Foundation. p +64 4 801 6303 Vol 26 No. 3 ISSN 1177-200X COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Rangi Kipa 2008, Staron(TM), marine resin. THE DIRECTOR’S CUT SOCIAL @keith_ng So it turns out that, on asking conference speakers for their preferences for gifts, many don’t actually want alcohol. #fyi JUN 29 @LIVENewsDesk BREAKING: Kiwi Antony de Malmanche has been sentenced to 15yrs in prison for smuggling drugs into Bali JUN 30 @wimon_song Intermission at Sleeping Beauty on Ice and tbh, it probably would be better if it was about drugs. JUL 1 ould Kelly van Gaalen’s jail sentence be @GeorgeTakei Oregon legalizes recreational the start of the downfall of our obsolete marijuana. They will likely reap benefits drug law? Kaikohe mother of three, 38-year-old such as: higher tax revenue, less crime, van Gaalen was sentenced last month to and increased pizza sales. JUL 2 two years’ jail for possession of cannabis C for supply. She was charged with having @DomPost After Alex Renton’s death, 684g of cannabis, 24 times the personal @PeterDunneMP says medical cannabis treatment ROSS BELL use limit of 28g. was still worthwhile. http://bit.ly/1HvGJgv JUL 2 Executive Director The cannabis was found at her home by Police who were called by her husband @daihenwood Games like last night make me following a violent home invasion. He was originally charged for happy I don’t drink. I would have thrown the cannabis until Kelly admitted it was hers. the TV through the remote and been grumpy Kelly is a highly respected community member. She was this morning. JUL 9 on her community board, chair of the community arts council and promotions manager for the local business association – @SanhoTree #Naloxone could’ve prevented it easily. roles she resigned from following her arrest. Last year, she was RT @ClassicPixs: Philip Seymour Hoffman left one of 15 Northlanders to receive a Local Heroes medal. us 1 year ago today. R.I.P. JUL 12 There was no evidence of commercial dealing or that she was profiteering by supplying cannabis to minors. Yet Crown @Laiglo #US President commuted prison terms prosecutor Catherine Gisler asked for a three-year sentence, of 46 non-violent #drug offenders this week. arguing deterrence was important. Kelly’s lawyer Doug Blaikie JUL 17 sought community detention. Many more deserve this 2nd chance When handing down the jail term, Judge John McDonald said, @nzdrug With 1000 NZers infected with Hep C “To say this sentencing has troubled me is an understatement… It is not for this court to comment whether that is a just law or not.” yearly – a figure unchanged since 2000 – action Many mainstream media commentators have questioned critical say Needle Exchange NZ. JUL 27 the judge’s ruling. Jake Tame was curious why a discharge without conviction or community sentence wasn’t applied. KEY EVENTS & DATES The New Zealand Herald’s Brian Rudman highlighted similar 20th Cutting Edge Conference – It’s all about Whanau, Nelson , cases where lesser penalties were used. Others found much New Zealand more violent and nasty offences that received shorter terms. 2-5 SEP http://www.cuttingedge.org.nz/ Russell Brown slammed the judge’s claim that his hands were 3rd National Cannabis Conference, Melbourne, Australia tied as risible, untrue and cowardly. It is right to question the https://ncpic.org.au/2015conference/ proportionality of the judge’s decision. 7-9 OCT Recent analysis of arrest data by Salient has also uncovered Healing Our Spirit Worldwide, Hamilton, New Zealand a clear policy decision by Police to shift its focus away from http://hosw.com/ cannabis possession offences. And so it is also right to question 15-19 OCT Police actions in pursuing this case. 2015 Int’l Harm Reduction Conference, Kuala Lumpur But clearly our attention must turn to Parliament, whose http://www.ihra.net/ members remain ultimately responsible for their stubborn 18-21 OCT refusal to repeal our obsolete, 40-year-old Misuse of Drugs Act. Reform Conference, Washington DC, USA The just-released National Drug Policy has few signals in it to http://www.reformconference.org/ give us hope that this may be about to change. 18-21 NOV But the widespread public unease about this case could Follow us well generate the necessary community-driven demand for Join us online fundamental reform – silver lining unlikely to be of much drugfoundation.org.nz/connect consequence to Kelly van Gaalen’s 5, 7 and 16-year-old children. www.drugfoundation.org.nz 01 NEWS NZ. 02 Tougher new 01 alcohol rules 03 Festival hangs in Rotorua on to BYO 11% 11% OF NEW ZEALAND ADULTS USED CANNABIS R&V (IN PAST YEAR) CONCERNED AT unruly festival goers spoiling A ONE-WAY door policy, the party, Rhythm and a ban on single RTD sales, Vines organisers have 1 IN 3 USE WEEKLY no new outlets within lowered the amount 1 kilometre of an existing people can drink. off-licence and a blanket Anyone camping % 10pm closing time for all in the official campsite liquor stores are some of 87 Helpline moving will only be allowed the new alcohol measures DID NOT REPORT ANY a maximum of 24 cans CONCERNS FROM OTHERS proposed in Rotorua. The government’s long talked about of BYO beer over the ABOUT THEIR USE Speaking to the Rotorua three days of the event. plans to merge telehealth freephone lines Lakes Council Local The move comes after will become a reality from 1 November. Alcohol Plan (LAP), fights broke at out at % In June, Homecare Medical was awarded Councillor Merepeka the neighbouring BW Raukawa-Tait said Summer Festival last 1.2 the contract to run Healthline, Quitline, the policy was geared year. It was reported RECEIVED HELP TO REDUCE the poisons helpline, the alcohol and OR QUIT towards addressing that around 90 people drug helpline and the helplines for the potentially harmful were injured and depression, gambling and public effects of alcohol. 63 arrested after immunisation advice. Homecare The proposed LAP alcohol-fuelled party % Medical is a partnership between was approved by the goers let loose. 42 two of New Zealand’s largest PHOs. councillors on 26 July. Alcohol legislation is REPORTED MEDICINAL USE Barring appeals, it could seen as the propelling Announcing the new arrangements, Health Minister come into force in early factor behind the more SOURCE Dr Jonathan Coleman said, “The public can still contact 2016. Any appeals could stringent BYO rules. services using current phone numbers. Behind the see implementation of Cannabis Use 2012/13, scenes, the new national service will be more seamless some form of delay for New Zealand Health Survey and ensure people access the right advice, at the right another year. (released May 2015) time, no matter where they live.” ADANZ CEO Paul Route, whose organisation has run the Alcohol Drug Helpline since about 1990, says the intent of the new service provider is that consumers will initially not notice a difference when the service 04 ‘Support.
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