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Pain, Pot and Politics Is Fear, Prejudice and Ignorance Denying Suffering New Zealanders Relief? Contents Holistic healing and moose stew Drinking for two Free P samples The future of New Zealand’s needle exchange Pain, pot and politics Is fear, prejudice and ignorance denying suffering New Zealanders relief? Contents matters of substance February 2007 Features Regulars Vol 17 No 1 ISSN 1177-200X 02 Cover Story Pain, pot and 18 Calling time on self interest 01 The Director’s cut matters of substance is published by the politics The government’s review on Drug Foundation Exective NZ Drug Foundation. All rights reserved. alcohol advertising controls Director Ross Bell welcomes Neither this publication nor any part you to the first new look of it may be reproduced without prior is expected out soon. Will permission of the NZ Drug Foundation. the alcohol industry be Matters of Substance quarterly. required to make some matters of substance invites feedback changes to the way it 01 Key Events and Dates and contributions. If you’re interested in advertises its own products? What’s on in 2007? We help contributing a guest editorial or article Leigh Sturgiss outlines the please first contact us: you fill in those blank pages Drug Foundation’s position. [email protected] in your brand new diary. p +64 4 801 6303 The Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) 19 Light on truth Amendment Bill would 08 Guest Editorial Brand Development/Graphic Design We all know that smoking The vanguard of harm Origin Design +64 4 801 6644 allow doctors to prescribe light cigarettes is better [email protected] reduction: The future of cannabis to patients with for you, don’t we? Those New Zealand’s needle specific serious medical lighter-coloured packets exchange NZ Drug Foundation conditions. But is fear and and lower tar yields are 3rd Floor, 111 Dixon Street Needle Exchange Programme PO Box 3082, Wellington, New Zealand prejudice likely to deny somewhat re-assuring. Leigh p +64 4 801 6303 many New Zealanders Sturgiss presents some bad National Manager Charles the help they need? Sarah news in this regard. Henderson writes about the Daniell looks at the issue. programme’s current status www.drugfoundation.org.nz 20 Holistic healing and and what should happen to ensure its future. 07 “I think we’re stuck moose stew with 18” Keriata Stuart attended Become a member The bill to return the legal the fifth Healing Our Spirit 25 Mythbusters: The NZ Drug Foundation has alcohol purchasing age to Worldwide Gathering in P and tinny houses been at the heart of major 20 was roundly defeated in Edmonton in 2006. She Stories about P being alcohol and other drug policy Parliament. Ross Bell writes found it a rich, varied and pushed at tinny houses are debates for over 18 years. about what that bodes for enlightening experience now regular media fare. Just During that time we have future liquor laws. and shares with us her how true are such claims? demonstrated a strong impressions. Mythbusters pick away at commitment to advocating 14 Party pills in the headlines the fictions. policies and practices based 22 Drinking for two on the best evidence available. – again More than half the women Newsg You can help us. A key strength of the who gave birth in the last NZ Drug Foundation lies in its diverse five years in New Zealand 11 New Zealand news membership base. As a member of the drank while pregnant. NZ Drug Foundation you will receive From drug driving tests to information about major alcohol and A significant proportion exploding volatile substances; other drug policy challenges. You can also drank to excess on at least what’s happening in our get involved in our work to find solutions one occasion. Keriata Stuart little corner of the globe? to those challenges. writes about fetal alcohol Associate Health Minister spectrum disorder Our membership includes health 12 World news promoters, primary health and Jim Anderton is currently in New Zealand. community organisations, researchers, taking advice from Chocolate dope, pickled students, schools and boards of trustees, manufacturers, retailers, 23 Making a hash of it? Finns and English snow; policy makers, and addiction treatment researchers and the NORWAY we bring you up-to-date on agencies and workers. community on whether to drug stories from overseas. SCOTLAND EDINBURGH DENMARK make party pills illegal. We North Sea Membership and subscription enquiries N.IRELAND Atlantic Ocean [email protected] tell you what we told him. BELFAST Quotes of Substance EUROPE UNITED or visit our website. IRELAND KINGDOM ENGLAND WALES NETHERLANDS Things people have said, CARDIFF LONDON 16 Opinion Same as it ever GERMANY BELGIUM and a few things that they 0 100miles English Channel was: drugs past, present FRANCE 0 100km shouldn’t have. and future We examine the UK Drug Doug Sellman explains why classification controversy drugs have always been and its relevance to important to humans, and New Zealand where why the future is likely to be national drug policy no different. development is continuing. matters of substance February 07 www.drugfoundation.org.nz The Director’s Cut Key Events & Dates Thinking Drinking II: judiciary, criminal justice workers, From problems to solutions UN officials, members of national 26-28 February, Melbourne, and international NGOs, Australia and members of drug user WELCOME to 2007 and the A conference for those wanting organisations. first edition of our new to develop solutions to the risky www.harmreduction2007.org look Matters of Substance drinking culture in Australasia. quarterly. Focus will be on how to transform Youth Week attitudes, customs and policies 21-27 May, Nationwide in order to create sustainable A celebration of young people, It’s no secret that alcohol In our first edition change. and drug issues are we take a look at the Youth Week is about encouraging www.adf.org.nz young people’s participation complex, and policy medicinal use of cannabis in and connections to their responses and solutions in New Zealand, the legal Social Marketing Down Under communities. aren’t always simple or status of party pills, drug 8-9 March, Wellington www.youthweek.co.nz palatable. In keeping classification in the UK, A conference for social marketers with tradition, Matters and the Mythbusters unpick and people working in related Te Törino – Re-imagining of Substance aims to be ‘P-laced pot’. We have briefs industries in New Zealand, Public Health Australia and the Pacific. Speakers an honest broker in those on the regulation of alcohol 4-6 July, Auckland will address key social marketing The 2007 Public Health Association policy debates while advertising, a possible fair issues relevant to our region. conference themes are urban remaining staunchly trade breach by Big Tobacco, www.socialmarketing.co.nz committed to the Drug alcohol and pregnancy, design, food matters and voices. Topics will include kaupapa Mäori, Foundation’s fundamental and the Healing Our Spirit Central Region Addictions Forum 18-19 April, Palmerston North systems and structures, workforce, principles. Worldwide gathering. inequalities, determinants of This means we will Charles Henderson outlines This is an opportunity to meet with colleagues working in a health, and globalisation. advocate for drug policies his vision for the future of rapidly changing alcohol and other www.pha.org.nz and practices based on the needle exchanges, and Doug drugs scene and to benefit from best evidence available Sellman pulls no punches in networking with others while Oceania Tobacco Control which promote harm his essay on the human and learning about new services and Conference minimisation and reduce social reasons why drugs talking with consumers. 4-7 September, Auckland inequalities. We will publish are always likely to have a www.alac.org.nz This conference promises to be arguments, discussions and ‘bright future’. both exciting and informative. Working Together Conference Confirmed keynote speakers new evidence on current Matters of Substance 3-4 May, Christchurch include, Cynthia Callard of and emerging alcohol and invited Doug’s contribution Celebrating 10 years of positive Physicians for a Smoke-Free drug policy issues to that after seeing him present partnerships and shared outcomes, Canada, Shu-Hong Zhu from the end, and we won’t apologise similar thoughts to the the 2007 Working Together University of San Diego, California for taking a strong editorial Interagency Committee on Conference is aimed at police, and Professor Melanie Wakefield position. Drugs as they considered public health representatives, of The Cancer Council Victoria Matters of Substance their strategic plan for district licensing inspectors, in Melbourne. researchers, trainers, council will include local and implementing the new www.smokefreeoceania.org.nz planners and policy makers, international stories written National Drug Policy. councillors, Mäori wardens, Mäori by Drug Foundation staff, While the new policy Rugby World Cup game one: health providers, safer community All Blacks vs Italy freelance journalists hasn’t been released yet, co-ordinators, and those working 8 September, France in injury prevention. and others with topic- it appears its priority plans The All Blacks will begin their www.alac.org.nz specific knowledge. We’ll will include a focus on assault on the Rugby World Cup include regular features, drug education, updating by meeting Italy in the second 18th International Conference such as guest editorials, the alcohol strategy, and match of the tournament, on the Reduction of Drug and introduce new ones. developing a Drug Harm Related Harm 1.45 pm in Marseilles. Mythbusters, for example, Index for New Zealand. 13-17 May, Warsaw, Poland www.rugbyworldcup.com will regularly unpick the Matters of Substance will This annual international hype, hysteria and fictions keep you updated on those conference, attended by more Two nations, ten cultures? often found around drug projects. than 1300 people from over The Combined APSAD and Cutting Edge Addiction Conference policy debates (especially Happy reading, 60 countries, is a key forum 4-7 November, Auckland those covered in the press).
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