John MacDonald: Isn't the Drug Foundation stating the obvious?

I support the NZ Drug Foundation’s push to decriminalise drug use and drug possession.  

The key point here is “use” and “possession”. It’s not saying let the dealers and manufacturers away with it, it’s saying we need to take a much more compassionate approach and treat drug users as people in need of help, instead of treating them as criminals.  

I’m picking your response will probably be determined by your exposure to drugs or experience with drugs.  

By that I mean whether your life has been affected in any way.  

I reckon that if someone close to me got hooked on meth, for example, then I’d definitely be wanting the law to take a more compassionate view.  

Because I know that I wouldn’t see them as criminals, I’d see them as someone needing help. 

Whereas if my life was impacted negatively in any way by a meth head —for example, if someone high on meth had attacked me in the street or broken into my home— then I might not be quite so compassionate.  

But if I listen to what the Drug Foundation has to say, then maybe a more compassionate approach would mean less drug addicts attacking people in the street and less drug addicts committing crimes to get money for their drugs. 

Because here’s what it says about that in its report: 

It says we should decriminalise personal possession and use of drugs —including drug utensils— because evidence from overseas shows that a system where people get help —and aren’t treated as criminals— even when they continue using their drug of choice... it says there is evidence that it works.  

In Switzerland for example, where it has what’s called “heroin-assisted treatments”, less people have died from overdoses and there is less drug-related crime.  

Another example the foundation gives in its report is Canada, where there are signs that its “safer supply programmes” are reducing the number of drug overdoses and helping drug users lead more stable lives.   

So why wouldn’t you give it a go?  

But it wants it done in parallel with a whole lot of money being poured into health and harm reduction services.  

Which, no matter what your views on our drug laws are, is a no-brainer.  

You’ll remember how, late last year, it was revealed that cocaine use in New Zealand is at an all-time high and methamphetamine consumption has doubled. And with people using more cocaine and meth, they’re at much greater risk of things like psychosis and heart issues.  

So, either way, there’s going to be some sort of financial burden on the health system at some point, isn’t there? 

So why not turn things on their head? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Well, I'm not sure I've got no idea what you've
been up to over the last half hour or so,
but I'll tell them what I've been doing. I've been
wading through a one hundred and fifty page document released
just thirty minutes ago by the New Zealand Drug Foundation
pushing its case for some major changes to our drug laws.
And the gist of it is this, the Foundation wants

(00:36):
drug use and drug possession decriminalized. Now, the key point
here is drug use and drug possession. It's not saying,
you know, let the dealers in the manufacturers away with it.
It's saying that we need to take a much more
compassionate approach and treat drug users as people needing help
instead of treating them as criminals. And I agree wholeheartedly.

(01:03):
I agree that drug users shouldn't be treated as criminals,
but I do think that the creeps who manufacture and
sell the drugs should be. Now, I'm picking your response
to this call by the Drug Foundation this morning will
probably be determined by your exposure to drugs or your
experience with drugs and by that, what I mean is,

(01:24):
you know, whether your life has been affected in any way.
I reckon that if someone close to me got hooked
on meth, for example, then I would definitely be wanting
the Lord to take a more compassionate view because I
know that I wouldn't see them as criminals. I'd see
them as, you know, someone needing help. But then if

(01:48):
my life was impacted negatively in any way by a
meth head, for example, you know, if someone high or
meth had attacked me in the street or broken into
my home, then I might not be quite so compassionate.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
That.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
If I listened to what the Drug Foundation has to
say this morning, then maybe a more compassionate approach wouldn't
mean less drug addicts attacking people in the street and
less drug addicts committing crimes to get money for their drugs. Maybe,
because here's what it says about that In particular, in
its report, it says we should decriminalize personal possession and

(02:27):
use of drugs, including drug utensils, because evidence from overseas
shows that a system where people get help and where
they're not treated as criminals even when they continue using
their drug of choice. It says that there is evidence
that it works, which is why it's pushing for it today. Switzerland,
for example, where they have what's called heroin assisted treatments.

(02:51):
Over there, less people have died from overdoses and there
is less drug related crime. Another example the Foundation gives
than its report that it's put out just thirty minutes
ago is Canada, where there are signs that it's programs
safer supply programs. There is evidence that they are reducing
the number of drug overdoses and helping drug users lead

(03:13):
more stable lives. So why wouldn't you give it a go?
But the Foundation wants all of this done in parallel
with the whole lot of money being poured into health
and to harm reduction services, which, no matter what your
views on drug laws are, I think that's a no brainer.

(03:34):
Because remember late last year it was revealed the stats
came out. I think it was December last year that
cocaine use in New Zealand was at an all time
high and metham fetamine consumption had doubled. It was in
December last year, so not that long ago. And the
issue with that is that with people using more cocaine

(03:55):
and more methamphetamine, that means they're at much greater risk
of things like psychosis and heart issues. So either way,
either way, there's going to be some sort of financial
burden on the health system at some point, isn't there.
So why not turn things on their head. Why not
stop treating drug users as criminals, spend the money upfront

(04:19):
and get them the treatment they need so that they
don't become as much of a burden on the system
further down the track. Sounds like a no brainer to me.
Stop treating the criminals, spend the money upfront, get them
the treatment they need so they don't become a burden
on the system further down the track. So there you
have it. That's my immediate response to what the Drug

(04:42):
Foundation is calling for this morning. But what's yours simple question?
Do you support the idea of decriminalizing drug use and
drug possession and instead of treating drug users as criminals,
give them the help they need to either get off
the drugs or live safely using drugs. That's what the
Drug Foundation thinks we should do. I agree with them.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
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