NZ Drug Foundation - Latest News [Page 2]
Passage Of Drug Checking Law A Moment To Celebrate
Tuesday, 23 November 2021, 6:30 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
The NZ Drug Foundation is celebrating the passing of the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill (No 2) today, which provides a new permanent legal framework for drug checking services at festivals and clinics. Executive Director, Sarah Helm, ... More >>
Review Continues To Strengthen The Case For Decriminalisation
Tuesday, 16 November 2021, 5:58 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
Attributed to Sarah Helm, Executive Director, NZ Drug Foundation. “An interim review of 2019 changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act that increased police discretion shows that we haven’t got our drug laws right, and despite some modest progress, ... More >>
Global Drug Policy Index Shows Opportunity For NZ To Be World Leader
Monday, 8 November 2021, 12:13 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
The NZ Drug Foundation says a new Global Drug Policy Index report released today highlights key areas where the country must improve in order to address inequity and be a world leader. Recent reforms like the legalisation of drug checking have ... More >>
Major Change To Drug Laws Still Needed Despite Police Report Showing Some Progress
Monday, 8 November 2021, 7:22 am | NZ Drug Foundation
The NZ Drug Foundation says a Police report into the impact of changes to drug laws in 2019 shows that despite some positive improvement, huge inequities remain, and major change is needed for New Zealand to take a health-based approach to drugs. ... More >>
Drug Foundation Turns To Givealittle To Fund Life-saving Overdose Medicine
Tuesday, 31 August 2021, 7:01 am | NZ Drug Foundation
The NZ Drug Foundation is calling for donations to help them distribute a life-saving medication they have been spending years calling for. The organisation has set up a Givealittle to help fund the distribution of naloxone, a medicine that reverses ... More >>
‘Public Interest’ Amendment To Drug Law Needed To Hasten Future Harm Reduction Initiatives
Wednesday, 7 July 2021, 12:36 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
The New Zealand Drug Foundation is calling for a ‘public interest’ exemption to be added to the country’s drug laws to enable quicker and easier establishment of future harm reduction initiatives that could save lives. The Foundation’s ... More >>
Gower Is Right – Treat Methamphetamine As A Health Issue
Wednesday, 16 June 2021, 5:43 am | NZ Drug Foundation
Following Patrick Gower’s documentary On P , the New Zealand Drug Foundation is calling for the government to fund the roll out of the successful programme Te Ara Oranga featured in last night’s documentary. Te Ara Oranga, a $3m police-led health-based More >>
Dr Reti’s Medicinal Cannabis Bill Highlights Flaws In Current System
Wednesday, 10 March 2021, 11:19 am | NZ Drug Foundation
National Party deputy leader and health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti’s private member’s bill on medicinal cannabis, drafted in 2018 before the current scheme, is due to be debated in Parliament this evening. Executive Director of the NZ Drug Foundation ... More >>
New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support For Reform Of Cannabis Laws
Tuesday, 9 March 2021, 6:31 am | NZ Drug Foundation
In research released by The Helen Clark Foundation today, 69% of voters wanted cannabis to be decriminalised (20%) or legalised (49%). Only 30% of respondents thought our cannabis laws should stay the same or get tougher. NZ Drug Foundation Executive Director ... More >>
New Figures Show Drug Checking Services Have Reduced Harm – But More Could Be Done.
Tuesday, 12 January 2021, 6:49 am | NZ Drug Foundation
New figures released by KnowYourStuffNZ show that drug checking this summer resulted in the vast majority of people who attended drug checking choosing not to take the harmful cathinone eutylone, where it turned out they had unwittingly purchased it. ... More >>
Demand For Treatment Outstrips Supply, As Kiwis Continue To Be Convicted For Minor Drug Offences
Wednesday, 9 December 2020, 12:07 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
Some New Zealanders are missing out on treatment, as services report a spike in COVID-19 fuelled demand has exacerbated an existing shortage of places for those needing it, according to a report released by the New Zealand Drug Foundation today. ... More >>
Timely Decision On Festival Drug Checking Will Save Lives
Tuesday, 1 December 2020, 12:27 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
The Drug Foundation is thrilled by Health Minister Andrew Little’s announcement providing legal certainty for drug checking happening at festivals this year. The proposed time-limited legislation will reduce the number of people needing medical ... More >>
Margin Narrows On Referendum Result: A Clear Mandate For Change
Friday, 6 November 2020, 3:22 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
“Based on how close the result is, a change to cannabis/ drug law should not be ruled out,” said Tuari Potiki, Chair of the Drug Foundation. “While the Drug Foundation accepts that the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill is now unlikely ... More >>
No Vote Not A Vote For Inaction: Decriminalisation Urged
Friday, 30 October 2020, 3:26 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
The cannabis referendum result was released today with 46.1% of New Zealanders voting in favour of legalisation, and 53.1% against. The gap will likely close to some degree when remaining votes are counted, but the jury is still out on whether it can close ... More >>
“Don’t’ Shut Down The Conversation With A ‘no’ Vote”, Say Leading Public Health Experts
Friday, 9 October 2020, 10:15 am | NZ Drug Foundation
The NZ Drug Foundation welcomes the publication of today’s NZ Medical Journal editorial. The authors - specialists in addiction treatment, public health, Māori health equity, health promotion and epidemiology - are calling for a yes vote in ... More >>
Economic Reports Released By Government Show New Zealanders Will Be Better Off Under Legal Cannabis
Wednesday, 9 September 2020, 12:17 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
Two economic reports commissioned by the Ministry of Justice to inform the development of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill were released under OIA today. The reports, by economic thinktank BERL , analyse the current illicit market and how ... More >>
Drug Foundation Farewells Long-standing Executive Director Ross Bell
Friday, 28 August 2020, 8:34 am | NZ Drug Foundation
The New Zealand Drug Foundation Executive Director Ross Bell is leaving the organisation for a role at the Ministry of Health. He has led the Drug Foundation for more than 16 years. Announcing Mr Bell’s departure, Drug Foundation Board Chairperson Tuari ... More >>
Advertising Standards Authority Rules In Drug Foundation’s Favour On Cannabis Referendum Campaign
Wednesday, 1 July 2020, 3:51 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
“We’re pleased with the Advertising Standards Authority’s decision regarding complaints received about our ‘Vote Yes On Our Terms’ cannabis control referendum campaign”, said Ross Bell, Drug Foundation Executive Director. “We always understood ... More >>
Foundation Turns To Crowdfunding To Keep Cannabis Campaign Going
Thursday, 18 June 2020, 4:37 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
A PledgeMe crowdfunding campaign publicly launches today to raise funds to ensure the public health messaging supporting a yes vote at the Cannabis Referendum reaches undecided voters. New Zealanders who support a Yes vote in the Cannabis Control Referendum ... More >>
Cannabis Legalisation And Control Bill: World-leading Public Health Law
Friday, 1 May 2020, 12:28 pm | NZ Drug Foundation
The Government today released the full and final Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill that New Zealanders will be voting for at the referendum on 19 September. “These final new details strengthen the controls from the initial draft, making it a world-leading ... More >>