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Moving to a Healthy Drug Law by 2020 Mattersof Substance. july 2017 Volume 28 Issue No.2 www.drugfoundation.org.nz Moving to a healthy drug law by 2020 The Drug Foundation has developed Whakawa¯tea te Huarahi - A model drug law to 2020 and beyond. It’s intended as a conversation starter, and is based on international experience and New Zealand’s unique needs. Take a look then share what you think. Contents THE DIRECTOR’S CUT SOCIAL @FullFrontalSamB You’re not going to believe this, An Aotearoa but we found proof that the War on Drugs is racist. #SamanthaBee ... JUN 9 Free from NZ 02 NEWS @NewshubPolitics .@paulabennettmp has admitted Drug Harm FEATURE: A KIWI IN THE LAND MUSIC AND the “Westie” in her wouldn’t mind marijuana COVER: A model drug law OF LEGAL CANNABIS 28 KIWI DRUG to 2020 and beyond USE being legalised – for medicinal purposes ... JUN 9 26 @robhosking Election Year gods smiling 06 mischievously. Medicinal cannabis *and* COVER WORLD euthanasia bills win private members’ ballot. STORY 04 NEWS £1BILLION #nzpol It’s all on ... JUN 8 Women’s suffrage. Conquering Everest. Nuclear free. Treaty reconciliation. These are @Mike_Selick The #WarOnDrugs is “Slavery all proud moments in Aotearoa New Zealand’s by another name” – @msmonique_tula short history, but they all happened a wee Executive Director of @HarmReduction time ago. speaking at #HR17 ... MAY 15 Don’t you think it’s about time we added another landmark achievement to this list? W And can I be so bold to propose that @nick_clegg When a country as sensible as Canada comprehensive drug law reform be our is about to legalise cannabis, you know UK lags next proud moment? ROSS BELL behind. Time we stopped burying our heads in Executive Director Let’s imagine a new Aotearoa New Zealand where we approach our drug problem in a the sand ... MAY 13 more sophisticated and compassionate way, where we invest in the potential of young FEATURES @dtyukich Why would HNZ evict a mother of 8 out people instead of burdening them, where we equip our Police to better prevent crime, where we empower our communities to look after those of state housing using shonky meth tests, and put Become with drug use disorders. her children at risk? @TheHuiNZ ... APR 23 18 22 26 32 a member The Drug Foundation’s vision is for “Aotearoa New Zealand free from drug harm”. Ups and downs with Taking a reading A Kiwi in the land of Me and my interlock For us, this means we not only tackle the direct harms from a KEY EVENTS & DATES painkiller prescriptions of the pills legal cannabis Blowing into a device every The New Zealand Drug Foundation has Do we have a prescription Over summer, harm- Visiting three US states, time you start your car been at the heart of major alcohol and person’s alcohol or other drug use, we also seek to remove the harms problem? Matt Black asks reduction services were Stephen Blyth was isn’t hassle free, yet it’s other drug policy debates for over 20 years. created by our drug control systems and laws. The Australian Winter School: Connecting the alcohol and drugs some medical professionals once again at several surprised to discover that the one thing that could During that time, we have demonstrated Changing our drug law is the next step we should take to free sector, Brisbane if they think New Zealand festivals helping keep legal cannabis hasn’t drive down rates of people a strong commitment to advocating ourselves from the harm of conviction, of shame, of discrimination, winterschool.org.au can avoid the mistakes that people safer with reliable caused more than a ripple driving their cars over policies and practices based on the of stigmatisation. 27-28 JUL 2017 left so many US citizens information. The testing in the fabric of society. the limit. best evidence available. How should this be done? addicted to opioids. tool kit now incudes a We have long engaged in public discussion and debate about what Cutting Edge 2017: Addiction is Everybody’s Business portable spectrometer. You can help us. A key strength of the Drug a ‘health first’ approach to drug law might look like in a fairly general Te Papa Museum, Wellington Foundation lies in its diverse membership sense. It’s now high time to talk specifics. cuttingedge.org.nz base. As a member of the Drug Foundation, 6-9 SEP 2017 REGULARS you will receive information about major We’re hosting a major parliamentary symposium this month to alcohol and other drug policy challenges. hear from international colleagues about how they implemented drug Drug history in You can also get involved in our work to law reform and discuss amongst ourselves how we can eliminate the Valuing Connections, Connecting Values: PHANZ Conference, New Zealand 36 find solutions to those challenges. harms currently created by our law. The cover story in this issue lays Christchurch 38 40 42 News Extra 44 out our case. conference.co.nz/phanz17 Guest editorial: Viewpoints: Opinion: Our membership includes health promoters, 2-4 OCT 2017 Q&A: Johann Hari 45 We’re also releasing a proposed model drug law, which – because Rebuilding lives, Are communities Values-based politics primary health and community organisations, of our impatience – we want in place by 2020. Yes, this is only 3 years rebuilding really getting more and drug law reform researchers, students, schools and boards Mobilising for Change: Alcohol Policy and the Evidence for Action, communities say over what their of trustees, policy makers, and addiction away, but we’re not starting from scratch. Author Max Harris is Global Alcohol Policy Conference, Melbourne Vanessa Caldwell has a Local Alcohol Policies determined that we treatment agencies and workers. Our model draws heavily on the Law Commission’s earlier Misuse first-hand perspective on will look like? transform our political of Drugs Act review (which proposed a model of health referral instead gapc2017.org.au Membership and subscription enquiries 4-6 OCT 2017 some great community We explore the arguments process so that it is based of criminal convictions and of removing any legal barriers to innovative [email protected] initiatives that are helping for and against. on values and focused on harm-reduction practices) and on the existing Psychoactive Substances or visit our website. to keep people on the truly positive outcomes. Act (which imposes strict public health regulation over lower-risk 2017 International Drug Policy Reform Conference, Atlanta, Georgia road to recovery. drugs). Our model also demands new spending in education, harm reformconference.org www.drugfoundation.org.nz reduction and treatment – elements of Aotearoa New Zealand’s current drug policy that have been limited by a long-term lack of investment. 11-14 OCT 2017 Let’s not let any pre-election short-term political anxiety prevent matters of substance is published matters of substance invites Brand development/ NZ Drug Foundation us from following that new direction. Indeed, it’s been welcome to see by the New Zealand Drug feedback and contributions. graphic design 4th Floor, 265 Wakefield Street 27th IFNGO Conference: Understanding Addiction, Treatment, in the last few months a number of political parties happy to engage Prevention and Harm Reduction Policy, Macau Foundation. All rights reserved. If you’re interested in Insight +64 4 801 6644 PO Box 3082, Wellington, in very public discussions about reform. But we still need to find a way Neither this publication nor any contributing a guest editorial [email protected] New Zealand 6-8 NOV 2017 to help those larger parties from overcoming their shyness. part of it may be reproduced or article, please contact us: www.insightcreative.co.nz p +64 4 801 6303 We want your feedback on our model drug law. We’ll be holding matters of substance without prior permission of the [email protected] Follow us July 2017 Drug Foundation. p +64 4 801 6303 public meetings over the rest of 2017, and you are also welcome to Vol 28 No. 2 comment via our website. Join us online ISSN 1177-200X Happy reading. drugfoundation.org.nz/connect This report is printed on Advance Laser, an environmentally responsible paper produced using elemental chlorine free (ECF) pulp sourced from sustainable and legally harvested farmed trees. Advance Laser is manufactured www.drugfoundation.org.nz 01 under the strict ISO 14001 environmental management system. The ink used in the production of this report is 100% vegetable based, mineral oil free and manufactured from 100% renewable resources. News NZ. 09 03 Study finds 04 Mental health 05 Lotta Dann now young women review ‘going within’ binge-drink 24 litres of RTDs a year 10 Tenancies Amendment 07 Bill misguided 08 on meth MORE THAN 500 IN MAY, Living Sober signed 24LPER YEAR New Zealanders have told up its 5,000th member as the the government it’s getting online community’s leader A MASSEY University study harder to access mental Lotta Dann launched her finding women aged under 24 health services. second book, Mrs D is Going 01 03 04 who buy RTDs drink around The People’s Mental Health Within. Her first was Mrs D is 05 06 10 24 litres a year – more than Review was an online Going Without. 01 VAPING COULD BE LEGAL BY NEXT YEAR the heaviest-drinking group anonymous survey, carried In the book, Dann shares of males – has renewed calls out by independent group her personal practices and IN MAY, the government The government plans to legalise to restrict alcohol advertising Action Station. The report strategies in the hope they introduced an amendment and sponsorship.
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