Mattersof Substance. october 2017 Volume 28 Issue No.3 www.drugfoundation.org.nz We should have known The recent extraordinary spate of 20 deaths linked with synthetic cannabinoid use could have been avoided. The warning signs were there, but who was listening? CONTENts FEATURE: TUHOETANGA We should 16 have known FEATURE: ENLIGHTENMENT AT THE COVER: How New Zealand failed END OF THE MAZE to spot the synthetics crisis NZ 02 NEWS $ 20 COVER 06 STORY 3M FEATURES Become 14 16 20 22 a member Without warning Tühoetanga Enlightenment at the Public mood swing: An early warning system As Tühoe inch closer to end of the maze Have Asia’s brutal The New Zealand Drug Foundation has could save lives. Rob Zorn mana motuhake – self- World-leading drug policy drug wars hit a nerve? been at the heart of major alcohol and compares a couple of determination – a Drug experts plus an enthusiastic Mangai Balasegaram asks other drug policy debates for over 20 years. international examples Foundation hui in Rüätoki crowd of advocates, whether public outrage During that time, we have demonstrated that might work here. touched on what that politicians, clinicians could mark a turning point a strong commitment to advocating could mean for healthcare. and activists equals hope in Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody policies and practices based on the for change. War on Drugs. best evidence available. You can help us. A key strength of the Drug Foundation lies in its diverse membership base. As a member of the Drug Foundation, REGULARS you will receive information about major alcohol and other drug policy challenges. Drug history in You can also get involved in our work to New Zealand 28 find solutions to those challenges. 30 32 36 Country model 34 Guest editorial: Viewpoints: Prevention and education: Our membership includes health promoters, Q&A: Lizzie Marvelly 37 Drivers of change Does cannabis really The right message: primary health and community organisations, researchers, students, schools and boards The election left Winston cause 32 deaths each Engaging teens and of trustees, policy makers, and addiction Peters holding all the year in New Zealand? young people treatment agencies and workers. cards, but maybe change The way we count deaths We highlight some work is driven from the is vital, as it determines the that’s under way to help Membership and subscription enquiries backbenches anyway, extent of the government’s young people understand [email protected] writes Emma Espiner. response. We explore the and talk about drugs. or visit our website. way drug deaths are currently recorded. 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.insightcreative.co.nz p +64 4 801 6303 matters of substance without prior permission of the [email protected] October 2017 Drug Foundation. p +64 4 801 6303 Vol 28 No. 3 ISSN 1177-200X 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 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. THE DIRECTOR’S CUT SOCIAL @DuncanGarnerNZ Fuel pipeline down - Govt goes ape. Housing crisis - beat up. 20 dead in 8 weeks due to synthetic drugs - sssh we’re announcing new bootcamps ... SEP 18 @AotearoaSam Crisis. Seriously. These are DEATHS - serious issues will be far greater in number. Prohibition is killing kiwis ... SEP 14 @MelindaButtle Name your craft beer! It’s the job your granddad did plus a word you don’t fully understand. Mine is ‘The Boxer’s Contingency’ ... SEP 10 very election, we put together a briefing to the incoming parliament. As we make the final touches to our latest recommendations, @wolfenyc Calling mandatory drug testing of those I’ve been reflecting on what we told them received public benefits “love” is like calling three years ago. police arrest “kindness”. #stoptheharm ... AUG 26 The current government has made some progress towards a more health-focused @philquin By far the biggest addiction cohort in E approach to New Zealand’s drug problem; our new briefing will certainly highlight NZ are middle class wine-swillers, poshly ROSS BELL the areas where progress has been slow hoovering vino on the daily like it’s their last Executive Director and where reform is urgent. on Earth ... AUG 18 But there are two issues where no progress has been made despite a supportive policy environment – opioid @JustSpeakNZ If we can’t control drugs in Aotearoa in overdose prevention and an early warning system for new psychoactive our prisons, we certainly can’t control them outside substances. Both highlight failed implementation by government and its agencies. of prison. - Danny Matene #ajustvote ... JUL 27 Three years ago, we advocated strongly for naloxone – the overdose reversal medicine – to be more widely available. Our advocacy was KEY EVENTS & DATES successful. The Medicines Classification Committee agreed to change the status of naloxone, allowing it to be accessed without prescription as part of an approved overdose pack. This pack could be distributed 27th IFNGO Conference: Understanding Addiction, Treatment, widely through the needle exchange programme, both to people who Prevention and Harm Reduction Policy, Macau inject drugs and to their friends and family. 6-8 NOV 2017 We naively assumed that, the decision having being made, the agencies responsible for implementing it would crack into gear and get it done. This was not the case. Instead, they have given us excuses why it is not their Agents of Change Summit, San Diego, USA agentsofchangesummit.com responsibility and highlighted barriers to implementation that still exist as though it was someone else’s role to remove those barriers. 12–13 FEB 2018 This bureaucratic inertia is agonisingly odd. After all, we are talking about preventing deaths. The same inertia exists in a very stark way with the recent deaths NZ Population Health Congress, Auckland, from synthetic cannabinoids (which our cover story examines in detail). pophealthcongress.org.nz Government agencies had agreed to establish an early warning 18–20 APR 2018 system for psychoactive substances by June this year. This languishes for lack of funding and lack of motivation. We can only imagine whether things would have been different if this warning system had been in place. 12th International Society for the Study of Drug Policy conference, But even without this system, different government agencies Vancouver, Canada, issdp.org had access to good knowledge about the rapidly changing synthetic 16–18 MAY 2018 cannabinoid black market. For reasons known only to them, they chose not to share this more widely – including to the public. We could very easily find ourselves stuck with the status quo, Australian and New Zealand Addiction Conference, Gold Coast, where agencies with access to good intel continue to sit on it. Australia, addictionaustralia.org.au So when we write our briefing to new politicians, we will talk to them about drug law reform and the urgent need for more 28–29 MAY 2018 resources for prevention, education and treatment. But we will also vigorously challenge those government agencies tasked with Follow us implementation to act with more urgency, especially when it comes Join us online to lifesaving interventions. drugfoundation.org.nz/connect www.drugfoundation.org.nz 01 News NZ. of Kiwis want cannabis 03 Drug policy hui 04 Fighting meth 05 Dunne steps reform and support is in Rūātoki in Northland down 65% rising amongst voters $ AL AL N N UR UR ON ON O O FIRST FIRST ATI ATI Z Z N N LAB LAB N N GREE GREE 3M 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 THE DRUG FOUNDATION NORTHLAND POLICE and “COMPASSION, INNOVATION took its model drug law deep treatment providers are and proportion” were 01 LEGAL CANNABIS LAW BACKING into Tühoe territory in August, working together to put catchphrases for the most REMAINS HIGH with a hui at the remote Te prevention and treatment first, unlikely champion of drug law Rewarewa Marae in Rüätoki. in a new approach to high reform. Under Peter Dunne, Ngäi Tuhoe leader Tamati levels of methamphetamine the National Drug Policy Public support for cannabis Kruger opened the hui, use in the region. began to view drug use as which focused on the Northland DHB and NZ Police first and foremost a health law reform is as strong impacts of our broken drug have been funded $3 million issue as he doggedly pushed law on Mäori, with an eye to to deliver the Te Ara Oranga a reluctant government as ever, a new survey possible solutions. The Drug Methamphetamine Demand towards responsible reform. conducted for the Drug Foundation’s Principal Adviser Reduction Strategy pilot. The Peter Dunne stepped down Gilbert Taurua presented trial, a first for New Zealand, in August after 33 years in Foundation shows. “Whakawätea te Huarahi: will see a range of new referral politics, leaving behind him A model drug law to 2020 and treatment options for a legacy that saw, amongst The Curia Market Research poll shows almost and beyond”. meth users and their whänau, other things, the unlikely while a team of seven pairing of the words ‘sensible’ two-thirds of those surveyed in July 2017 want CAYAD’s Denis O’Reilly spoke about practical initatives being dedicated Police officers and ‘drugs’.