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Mattersof Substance. November 2015 Volume 26 Issue No.4 www.drugfoundation.org.nz Has NZ’s drug law passed its use by date? The core of the Misuse of Drugs Act remains the same as the day as it was passed in 1975, yet the world has moved on. CONTENts Has NZ’s ABOUT drug law 28 A DRUG passed its use by date? FEATURE STORY COVER: We look at some of the costs of our ageing drug law. 18 COVER 06 STORY NZ NEWS 18 WORLD NEWS 04 FEATURES Become 06 18 22 26 a member Has NZ’s drug law Mäori MPs reconsider Longer course Early days for UNGASS passed its use drug law on alcohol and 2016 declaration The New Zealand Drug Foundation has by date? Mäori MPs agree and other drugs Country positions on a new been at the heart of major alcohol and Many people end up disagree on questions At Taieri College, health declaration to end the world other drug policy debates for over 20 years. paying a high price for of drug law change classes cover alcohol and drug problem, in brief During that time, we have demonstrated an outdated law other drugs at all levels a strong commitment to advocating policies and practices based on the best evidence available.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, Treatment as A nation in denial? Julian McMahon About a Drug 28 primary health and community organisations, prevention? How Nathan Frost says it’s Premeditated state- researchers, students, schools and boards about prevention Viewpoints 32 time to talk about alcohol sanctioned killing of trustees, policy makers, and addiction as prevention?! Q&A 36 problems, not pretend of a prisoner is treatment agencies and workers. The priority for stopping they don’t exist never defensible Mythbusters 37 the spread of hep C should Membership and subscription enquiries be on early prevention, [email protected] argues Charles Henderson 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 2015 Drug Foundation. p +64 4 801 6303 Vol 26 No. 4 ISSN 1177-200X THE DIRECTOR’S CUT SOCIAL @SanhoTree First drug warriors dismissed smoked cannabis b/c it has too many impurities. Now they freak out b/c it is too pure to vape. #makeupyourmind SEP 9 @mattnoffs Let’s create an environment where drug use is secondary and pales in comparison to a flourishing life. SEP 30 @picardonhealth Students more likely to have sex when they smoke pot, binge drink http://bit.ly/1hMg3Oy … Seriously, they needed a study? OCT 8 id you see the furore last month with the leaked United Nations’ report on drug @RichardDiNatale “The real test is not just if cannabis decriminalisation? It had all the hallmarks of a great conspiracy: a shocking secret can be grown, but whether or not it can get into report supressed by sinister diplomatic the hands of patients who need it.” OCT 16 pressure, revealed to the world thanks D only to the valiant whistleblowing of @publicaddress There’s a company whose sole Sir Richard Branson. business is creating fake weed for use in movies: Looking back it was probably a storm ROSS BELL http://www.sugavision.com/sugavision/ Executive Director in a tea cup. We shouldn’t be surprised that cannabis_props.html … OCT 18 the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has put its weight behind decriminalisation. @richardbranson Applaud @UNODC for supporting It’s not the first time the office has said as much, which now decriminalization of drug users. Right move at the aligns them with the positions of ten other UN bodies plus the Secretary General. right time http://virg.in/wd #stoptheharm … OCT 18 The “leaked paper” is a simple two-page statement explaining that decriminalising drug use and possession for personal @GlobalDrugSurvy GDS2015 found that 1% of consumption is consistent with international drug control #cannabis users sought emergency medical conventions. It is argued these changes may be necessary for treatment in the last year? Help us reduce the countries to meet obligations under international human rights risk - globaldrugsurvey.com/GDS2016 … NOV 10 law. This is important to hear, so the UNODC should publish the statement without fuss. With the United Nations family forming a more coherent position on decriminalisation and stepping up its advocacy KEY EVENTS & DATES for public health and human rights-based responses to drugs, we have to ask what does this mean for countries including ours? 59th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), As a responsible global citizen New Zealand should take note and Vienna, Austria measure its own responses to drug harm against these UN proposals. 14–22 MAR 2016 I sense there’s a new willingness to do this. Statements made at recent UN drug policy meetings have highlighted principles in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) government’s new national drug policy – namely proportion, on the World’s Drug Problem, New York, USA innovation and compassion. www.unodc.org/ungass2016 So how do those principles translate into practice through our 19–21 APR 2016 drug law? My assessment is that the Misuse of Drugs Act is none of 10th Annual Conference of the International Society for the these things. Significant reform or repeal of the law is the only Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP), Sydney correct thing to do. www.issdp2016.com We have long argued a health-focused drug law should remove 16–18 MAY 2016 criminal penalties for minor drug offences; we favour the “Portugal Model” where sanctions are replaced with appropriate public Australian and New Zealand Addiction Conference 2016, Gold Coast, Australia health and treatment interventions. www.addictionaustralia.org.au There is more support every day for such an approach, both 18–20 MAY 2016 here and overseas. Outgoing Police Association President, Greg 21st International HIV/AIDS Conference (AIDS2016), O’Connor, has voiced support for treating drugs as a health issue Durban, South Africa after seeing first-hand the results of Colorado’s reforms. The Irish www.aids2016.org/ drug policy minister has just announced they’ll decriminalise 18 - 22 JUL 2016 drugs, including heroin. I think we are entering a new era in which we can engage Follow us the public and law makers on these tricky issues. It has taken Join us online us 40 years to get to this point, but can we agree to move forward drugfoundation.org.nz/connect with greater urgency now? www.drugfoundation.org.nz 01 NEWS NZ. 03 Drug driver goes 05 No ban for 01 free after Police alcohol sachets 06 Drop in breath botch-up – yet tests INCORRECT JUSTICE MINISTER Amy POLICE HAVE attributed INFORMATION on a Adams has rejected calls a sharp drop in breath Police form advised for a ban on alcohol sachets. tests to “working smarter”. officers they could The Eden Park Community Figures released under the charge motorists over drug Liaison Group said it was Official Information Act driving when in fact they worried the sachets were show that, in the past CTU head wants legal cannabis for couldn’t, a New Plymouth being smuggled into year, Police undertook just cancer pain judge has ruled. sporting events after over 2.5 million breath Justice Denis Clifford finding them left scattered alcohol tests, about quashed the conviction around the stadium. 457,000 fewer than the Council of Trade Unions President against Robert Dollimore Ms Adams told the group previous year. Helen Kelly is calling on the government for refusing to undergo a she had been advised that “Previously we did a lot of to promote wider access to medicinal compulsory impairment “sachets cannot be banned high volume checkpoints test. at this time” and that run on the theory that cannabis in New Zealand. Kelly made The offending form banning the products was high visibility around the comments after being diagnosed with incorrectly indicated “arguably unnecessary” checkpoints would deter a charge could be laid as they did not appear to a greater proportion of terminal lung cancer and exhausting all if a driver ‘failed or be widely available. public from drinking legal pain relief. refused’ to complete the Auckland Councillor Cathy and driving,” said assessment. Clifford’s Casey said the Minister’s road policing national In order to get access to cannabis oil, Kelly has to get ruling has led to an decision was “extremely operations manager both a doctor and specialist to apply to the Ministry update of the paperwork. disappointing”. Inspector Peter McKennie. of Health on her behalf, requesting a specific drug. Police say high visibility “I’m actually going to write to Peter Dunne, who’s got checkpoints will continue permission to give me cannabis oil, and I’m going to but with more targeting of ask him to do that,” Kelly said.