Mattersof Substance. november 2014 Volume 25 Issue No.4 www.drugfoundation.org.nz A court that heals Offenders opting to come under New Zealand’s first Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court choose a stretch of healing, rather than jail time. It’s hard work for everyone, but it’s paying off. CONTENTS MYTH- BUSTERS ABOUT A court that heals A DRUG 37 COVER: New Zealand’s drug court pilot celebrates two years of operation in November. 20 Each of its 18 graduates came from the ‘hard basket’ – typically repeat offenders with a long history of victims, convictions and prison time. They have substance issues and are facing a court that prioritises recovery over punishment. NZ NEWS 02 COVER STORY WORLD NEWS 06 04 FEATURES Become 06 16 22 26 a member A court that heals How well are pre- Our ‘psycho’ A remarkable lifetime Two years in to the charge warnings psychoactive achievement The New Zealand Drug Foundation has Auckland Alcohol and working? substances legislation The winner of the Pride been at the heart of major alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Fewer minor offences are From the fast lane to the of New Zealand Award, other drug policy debates for over 20 years. Court pilot, lives are being coming before the courts, byway. Tihi Puanaki, talks During that time, we have demonstrated changed for the better. yet questions remain over about helping people a strong commitment to advocating this new policing tool. to stand tall. policies and practices based on the best evidence available. You can help us. A key strength of the Drug REGULARS Foundation lies in its diverse membership 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 find Events 01 30 32 36 solutions to those challenges. GUEST EDITORIAL OPINION Q&A News 02 Our membership includes health promoters, Most people with Where there’s smoke, Dr John Crawford About a Drug 20 addiction simply grow there’s sugar The Director and Chief primary health and community organisations, Viewpoints 34 out of it Understanding dirty tricks Advisor of Mental Health researchers, students, schools and boards Maia Szalavitz says the is the key to fighting them, talks about trends, Q&A 36 of trustees, policy makers, and addiction treatment agencies and workers. ‘ageing out’ experience is argues Keith Ng. the addictions treatment Mythbusters 37 ignored by treatment sector and how to stay Membership and subscription enquiries providers and journalists. healthy. [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] November 2014 Drug Foundation. p +64 4 801 6303 Vol 25 No. 4 ISSN 1177-200X PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Piper, Auckland. THE DIRECTOR’S CUT SOCIAL @writeonleah #RoastBusters case thrown up issue that girls who allege rape aren’t taken seriously if they’ve been drinking. OCTOBER 30 @JCE_PC If my body thinks it is breakfast time, but it’s 4:30pm in Sydney and I have a beer, does that count as drinking in the morning? OCTOBER 18 @infectiouschris @nzdrug So naloxline was just a typo and not a cool naloxone hotline... got it. OCTOBER 17 @Dirk57 More coverage of one alleged case of ne year ago Parliament ushered in a new “Google glass addiction” than serious drug era of alcohol harm reduction law with the addiction science gets in a year. OCTOBER 17 Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, which promised communities greater say in liquor @MrsDAlcoholFree “You think it’s like truth serum, licensing decisions. It seems the law has over promised and under delivered, with but it’s more like asshole serum” Now sober commercial interests now actively frontman of The Strokes re alcohol rollingstone. O undermining its purpose. com/... OCTOBER 15 The fundamental principle of the law is to ROSS BELL reduce alcohol related harm by setting @AnneBateman And @BirksAng made them laugh - Executive Director constraints on liquor licenses based on the a lot! Go youth service development! We need wishes of local communities. Parliament more & better! @OdysseyAkl SEPTEMBER 19 passed it after considering the powerful voices of many leaders who expressed great frustration at their lack of say in decisions that directly @Dovil In one flat we found basement full of dope affect their communities. and then drug lords tried to kill us. No, wait, Fast forward a few months and we see those same frustrations begin that was the movie Scarfies. #characterbuildings to appear. SEPTEMBER 23 Our last issue featured Mangere’s Southern Cross Campus in its fight against the expansion of a liquor outlet directly across the road. This @publicaddress Colin Craig: “a backside handshake liquor application, which had been notified in small print at the back sort of thing …” One of the lines of the evening, of a newspaper during school holidays, was actively opposed by the surely. SEPTEMBER 20 school, the local board and public health officials, but was still granted by the District Licensing Committee. We all wondered why the voice of the community was ignored, why the spirit of the law was breached. KEY EVENTS & DATES After facing strong community opposition another applicant in the same area voluntarily withdrew their licence application. That’s a great outcome but, once again, local communities were forced to World Indigenous Health Conference 2014, express their views in a piecemeal way. A Local Alcohol Plan would Cairns, indigenoushealth.net have reflected what people think best for their neighbourhoods from 15-17 DEC 2014 the outset. It’s clear the law has had a troubled implementation. All Local Alcohol Plans drafted by councils are being appealed. Lawyers are getting rich 14th World Congress on Public Health, fighting provisions designed to protect communities. Look at what’s Kolkata, India, wfpha.org happening here in Wellington. 11-15 FEB 2015 No less than eight lawyers represent different parties appealing Wellington Council’s policy. The sides in this fight are many and include Police, public health, supermarket giants, and hospitality and 58th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, wider alcohol industry interests. Media reports show the council had Vienna, undoc.org negotiated special deals with the hospitality industry behind closed 9-17 MARCH 2015 doors – even before public consultation began – to extend opening hours for on-licenses beyond the new national maximum. Quite how the council can reconcile that proposal with the intention of The Australian & New Zealand Addiction Conference 2015, the law is anyone’s guess. Extended hours won’t reduce alcohol harm, Gold Coast, addictionaustralia.org.au and prioritising commercial over community interests is bad form. 20-22 MAY 2015 It’s a sad state of affairs that this law, so full of potential, has begun to unravel so quickly. Communities fought hard to have a voice and Follow us thought they had been listened to. Now it seems they’re once again Join us online being ignored. drugfoundation.org.nz/connect matters of substance November 14 01 NEWS NZ. 02 NZ Fashion 04 Snapchat anti 05 Police attaché week features drug-driving to be based in criminal campaign – China to tackle ‘records’ 7500 views drug trade WELLINGTON-BASED AWARD-WINNING IN AN EFFORT to stem designer Hohepa director Taika Waititi has the flow of Thompson stole the show developed a series of methamphetamine and during Auckland Fashion SnapChat videos aimed at precursor drugs into Week. Piupiu-dressed discouraging young New Zealand, Police are 01 LEGALISE CANNABIS PARTY COMES SECOND drivers from smoking IN MOCK ELECTION AT SCOTS COLLEGE models flung vinyl records sending an attaché to be out into the audience, cannabis and then getting based permanently in which Thompson said behind the wheel. The China. Auckland’s A mock election at one of the country’s represented Mäori series of 10-second clips Detective Sergeant Bruce top private schools went to pot when criminal records. He depict a group of friends will be the first to take up getting high and then the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis intended his show to be a the post and will work political statement about driving to get food. The with authorities in Party beat out the Labour Party and the high incarceration response time of the driver Southern China. With the Greens to come second. rates of Mäori for crimes is inhibited by the drug, funding coming from the such as drug possession. and this results in a seized proceeds of The vote, intended by the school to give students a feel for Twelve collections pedestrian being hit. meth-related crime, the what an election is like, was the result of ‘boys being boys’, from emerging and More than 7,500 people two countries will headmaster Graeme Yule said. He didn’t believe there was established Mäori have viewed the videos. cooperate to target a deep-seated desire to legalise cannabis. designers were included transnational drug crime in the Miromoda show. RESOURCES on both ends. Results from the Electoral Commission’s Kids Voting http://nzdrug.org/nzta- Joint enforcement efforts initiative, which 300 secondary schools participated in, RESOURCES snapchat by the two countries has were not available at time of going to press.