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We're on your side

The death of a close friend made Black Power member Denis O'Reilly re-evaluate his own methamphetamine use. This is the story of one man's f......

Stemming the tide in the north

Te Ara Oranga pilot putting more support in place for people using methamphetamine and their whānau is already proving its worth. What next?...

Poor foundations – testing homes for meth gone awry

Across New Zealand, tenants are losing their homes and possessions – or receiving debilitating bills – because their houses are found to be ......

All this talk about meth

Using meth? Worried about someone else's use? We've updated our MethHelp handbook and poster, which offer practical tips without judgement....

The myth: Methamphetamine and minors

The statistics say it, the kids say it, health workers say it – “So why won’t society believe that meth dependence among Kiwi kids is rare?”......

Methamphetamine in NZ

Understanding the basic facts about methamphetamine is vital as respond to problematic use....

Policy & Advocacy

This section includes details of the areas that the NZ Drug Foundation is actively working on....

Putting anti-drug rhetoric on ice

There has been a proliferation of anti-meth approaches across the Antipodes based more on fear than facts. Nicole Lee uncovers some of the f......

Mythbusters: gangs target middle class kids

Minister Judith Collins recently claimed the Head Hunters are working with Black Power and the Mongrel Mob to sell methamphetamine to privat......

About a drug: Methamphetamine

Amphetamine, meth’s parent drug, was first synthesised in Berlin in 1887 by Romanian chemist Lazâr Edeleanu, but its potency as a central ne......

Page not found - try again

This page appears only when there is a broken link....

Q&A: Anne Bardsley

Hear directly from the lead author the PM's Chief Science Advisor about on third hard exposure to methamphetamine....

Main point of meth plan missed

The New Zealand Drug Foundation today expressed its strong support for the Government’s “Tackling methamphetamine” action plan, saying the i......

New approach to dealing with drug use by HNZ tenants a welcome move

The Drug Foundation welcomes the Government’s announcement that Housing New Zealand will adopt a new policy when it detects methamphetamine ......

Strong justification to rein in meth testing industry

Regulations to rein in meth testing industry announced, following report from Govt's chief science advisor...

Opinion: Meth myth was allowed to go on for too long

Executive Director Ross says much suffering would have been avoided if run away methamphetamine testing had been tackled sooner....

Methamphetamine testing reset: where are we at?

Watch: Ross Bell speaks about cleaning up after the meth myth, and read: what we think should happen from here....

Practical advice for homeowners and landlords on meth testing

Worried about meth contamination? Should you test for meth resudue, and what if a test comes up positive? And what does it mean for your in......

Meth

New animation explains what every young person needs to know about methamphetamine

New Did You Know education resources for having a conversation about alcohol and other drugs are now available....

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine (meth) is one of a number of amphetamine-type drugs. Some have medical uses and are made by pharmaceutical companies....

Mythbusters: Is meth really all that bad for you?

In November 2011, scientists from Columbia University published a study on the effects of methamphetamine use. What made this study stand ou......

It's OK to talk about drugs in schools

Schools are being responsible teaching about drugs. Any debate about how best to do this is very welcome....

Mythbusters: Coming clean on meth

It's widely held that methamphetamine addiction can't be treated. Mythbusters look at what providers are doing to check whether this is true......

Mythbusters: New Zealand has the highest drug use in the world

Do we really? Or is it just that our bean counters are better at counting beans than others. Find out!...

Mythbusters: P and tinny houses

Stories about P being pushed at tinny houses are now regular media fare. Just how true are such claims? Mythbusters pick away at the fiction......

Talk with young people

Did you know that having a conversation with young people about alcohol and other drugs is helpful. The Did you know? videos and tools make......

Mythbusters: Is P lurking behind New Zealand's picket white fences?

A growing number of property owners and potential buyers are testing houses for methamphetamine contamination as public awareness of the iss......

Briefing to the Incoming Parliament 2017

In December 2017 all MPs were sent a comprehensive briefing setting out drug policy priorities for the next three years. Download the full r......

The cost of our convictions

How much does imprisoning young New Zealanders for minor drug offences cost us?...

Sentencing for serious drug crime - How tough are we?

What could be a worse crime than dealing drugs? Not much, according to our criminal justice system....

Lessons must be learnt from meth report

The report into HNZ’s response to "methamphetamine contamination" contains hard lessons for the government and its agencies. The harms cause......

Into my arms: Injecting drug use in New Zealand

Chris Wilkins and Charles Henderson compare findings on injecting drug use behaviour from the Illicit Drug Monitoring System and Needle Exch......

It’s about more than a referendum

A shift to a health-focused way of dealing with drugs in New Zealand is expected to accelerate under the new Labour-led government....

Knowledge of and attitudes to illegal drugs

Last year, the Ministry of Health published a report on what kiwis know and think about illegal drugs. Not all the findings were predictable......

Honest alcohol and drug tools to help Kiwi teenagers

If you're regularly talking with teenagers and young people, it can be difficult knowing what to tell them about drugs. It's important to re......

Q&A: Greg O'Connor

Greg O'Connor has seen a lot of change since he was elected President of the NZ Police Association....

Government action on synthetics drugs crisis applauded

The Government’s response to synthetic drug deaths is welcomed by the Drug Foundation. This is an important step towards treating drug use a......

Mythbusters: It sounds too much

Estimated values of seized drugs can be mind-bogglingly huge. In June 260 kg of heroin was seized by the NZ Navy and was estimated to be wor......

Cannabis causes 32 deaths each year in New Zealand... Really?

All drug use has a risk of harm, which can include death. This Viewpoints argues either side of the question: Does cannabis cause 32 deaths ......

Breaking the ice- how we will get through Australia's methamphetamine crisis

Worried that parents were getting misinformation about out-of-control methamphetamine use in Australia, Matt Noffs wrote a book to reassure ......

Reducing drug demand a good investment

The Drug Foundation welcomed the Government’s increased investment in reducing demand for drugs, released today in a pre-budget announcement......

Are we truly set up to support whaiora?

Tangi Noomotu suggests we need to take a good hard look at how much those working in the addiction field are asking of tangata whaiora....

Regulation: The Responsible Control of Drugs - public talk

Learn about recommendations from the Global Commission on Drug Policy in it's new report "Regulation: the responsible control opf drugs"...

The right message: Engaging teens and young people

Update on how 'peer crowds' research is being used to inform a range of youth-focused projects...

Festival-goers more informed - and more cautious

KnowYourStuffNZ have analysed results from drug checking they offered at several festivals around NZ over the summer. Read a summary of the ......

Let's talk about pot

Harsh cannabis laws defy good sense

Drug legislation and policy tend to focus too much on enforcement and tough-talk and too little on evidence about what really works, a visit......

Hawkes Bay hui

We're hosting a hui in the Hawkes Bay on 6 May 2017 to talk about how drug law harms many Māori, and solutions to this....

Cheese, chocolate, watches - and heroin-assisted treatment

Switzerland’s national drug policy, introduced in the 1990s, comprises four pillars: prevention, therapy, harm reduction and prohibition. Th......

“The drugs just didn’t work anymore” – Drug websites put a human face on addiction

“I don’t want to go back down that road. It’s very dark, very messy, and very lonely in spite of the fact it feels so loving, and so nice, a......

P: New Zealand’s P history

Redmer Yska traces the development of amphetamine manufacture and its history of use in New Zealand...

1-day symposium: Cannabis Conundrums and Other Drug Policy Challenge

A one day course exploring what it means to put in place a public health approach to drugs, and how do we get there. Wellington, 26 February......

Early warning system

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! A new drug has emerged. Unlike Lost in Space, we don’t have an early warning system for emerging synthetic dr......

Show me the money!

Whether we’re treating drug issues in the health sector or enforcing the Misuse of Drugs Act in the law enforcement and justice sector, addr......

New Zealand Government must step up efforts to end the death penalty

Australian death penalty experts to visit New Zealand – Monday 21 September 2015...

When grandparents must step up

Wide-ranging research has laid bare the experiences of grandparents stepping up to raise grandchildren due to their own child’s battle with ......

The cost of convicting young people

Our criminal justice approach under the Misuse of Drugs Act comes at a high cost to all involved, even just in terms of wasted tax dollars, ......

Helping build a healthy and supportive society

Housing NZ have changed their approach to drug use, and will now be offering more support...

A matter of trust

Worried parents resorting to drug tests may also be testing the relationships they have with their kids....

Opinion: Lore and Leadership: Changing the smoking culture of Māori

Shane Bradbrook is passionate about shifting New Zealand's smoking culture, especially amongst Māori. With strong Māori tikanga and leadersh......

About a drug: Alpha-PVP

Alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone - also known as alpha-PVP, gravel, flakka or niff - is one of a number of recreational drugs in the 'bath sal......

Bizarre behaviour

Bath salts. Police and media keep blaming them for bizarre behaviour. But, as
 Russell Brown writes, perhaps they need also to have a look a......

Opinion - Politicians need courage to achieve drug law reform

The Law Commission’s report on drug law reform is timely, smart and welcome. Now our politicians need the courage to respond....

Mythbusters: Is cannabis really 100 times safer than alcohol?

Smoking cannabis is 114 times safer than drinking booze. Many newspapers and websites ran headlines along these lines when they reported new......

Getting the measure of meth

With a host of agencies diligently working together to tackle New Zealand’s meth problem over the last six years, it’s timely to ask how thi......

Mythbusters: Yeast spreads can be used for brewing alcohol

Is Vegemite - a true blue Aussie spread - being used to make homebrew alcohol in remote Aboriginal communities?...

Review of Drug Utensils Regulation - submit now!

The Ministry of Health has recently taken an important initial step in addressing one of five priority areas of the National Drug Policy (ND......

Tūhoetanga

Ngāi Tūhoe and the Drug Foundation invited experts and community leaders to come together in Rūatoke to declare war on drug dependence....

It’s going to take more than a referendum to sort out NZ’s drugs issues

In a new policy briefing sent to MPs, the Drug Foundation lays out drug policy priorities for the next three years....

If it’s not true to label, then what are people taking?

With the summer festival circuit over for another year, some people will be looking back on a close shave they had as a result of using drug......

About a drug: Cocaine

Portrayed as one of the most glamorous drugs, cocaine has made a huge splash in pop culture and left a huge scar on South America....

Through the maze - healthy drug law reform

The Law Commission's review of the Misuse of Drugs Act cannot come soon enough. The Drug Foundation has some ideas about how a new Act shoul......

Needle exchange comes of age

Neeedle exchange New Zealand has come a long way since its humble and controversial beginning. It's now turned 21, and congratulations are i......

Good booze news from across the ditch

In late November 2014, the Australian Government’s Institute of Health and Welfare released its full report on the 2013 Australian National ......

Storm in a pee cup

Drug-related impairment in the workplace is undoubtedly a serious issue and a legitimate concern for employers. But do our current testing p......

Veronal: who remembers veronal?

Redmer Yska delves into the dramatic side effects of a popular barbiturate....

Guest editorial: Substance Addiction Bill briefing

Vanessa Caldwell, head of the addiction workforce development group Matua Raki, explains what is in the new compulsory treatment bill curren......

Revenge of the Hastings Incubus

The long, mostly hidden and quietly swoony story of the Kiwi relationship with heroin (diamorphine): Redmer Yska traces New Zealand’s histor......

LSD: New Zealand’s LSD history

Redmer Yska tells how LSD rose, fell and is maybe rising again for both recreational and therapeutic uses....

History never repeats

New Zealand’s history of drugs and the laws to control them....

Pounding a Helpful Beat

What would happen if Police and the justice system put less emphasis on punishing people and more on steering them towards support? Catriona......

Gangs trial new ways

Police, researchers, politicians and even gang members themselves will tell you that gangs play a significant role in the drug trade in this......

Opinion: Dear Politicians: drug policy matters in election year

In this message to New Zealand politicians, Kali Mercier, the Drug Foundation’s Senior Advocacy and Policy Adviser, explains why drug law re......

Music culture

Redmer Yaka pores through the history of NZ song to show how perception of drug use changed over time....

Decriminalisation of kratom in Thailand

Kratom is a tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves have long been used medicinally and recreationally and, more recently, as part of trea......

Let's talk about pot: Black Market forces

At $1 billion, New Zealand's cannabis black market would equate to one quarter the size of New Zealand's entire legal horticulture industry.......

Shifting to drug law that works for Māori: Kaikohe Hui Report

Concerns at worrying levels of drug use within some communities in Northland underpinned calls for action at a hui run by the Drug Foundatio......

Opinion: A brave, new drug policy

The National Drug Policy 2015-2020 is finally out. How does it stack up? Drug Foundation Principal Policy Advisor Andrew Zielinski looks at ......

Little by little

Sex addicts are comic gold, coffee addicts are the epitome of urban cool, but drug addicts? Media coverage always needs two sides, so when t......

Viewpoints: Should we be concerned about rising PIED use?

Performance and image-enhancing drugs are substances taken by people who want to improve their sporting performance or physical appearance. ......

Longer course on alcohol and other drugs

Teaching high school students about drugs and alcohol before they are of legal age is having a positive effect on students at Taieri College......

How Duterte’s drug war taps into the Philippines’ zeitgeist

The violence and mayhem being unleashed in a brutal War on Drugs in the Philippines shows no sign of abating. Mark R Thompson outlines what ......

We should have known

The recent extraordinary spate of 20 deaths linked with synthetic cannabinoid use could have been avoided. Russell Brown talked with those w......

Future drugs

All around the world, things are rapidly changing. There are signs the War on Drugs may be running out of steam, new technologies promise ne......

Ups and downs with Painkiller prescriptions

Over-prescription of opioid painkillers: How bad is it in NZ?...

Māori MPs reconsider drug law

A succession of reports show that Māori are affected significantly more than Pākehā by our drug laws. Russell Brown looks into the issues an......

Is Norway set to spark a drug policy revolution?

Until recently Norway has been wed to conservative drug law. This looks like it will change in a recent, sudden and surprising turn of event......

Erowid et al

Politics, the law and logistics make it difficult for official resources to provide frank, up-to-date information on psychoactive drugs. Tha......

Synthetic solutions: the global response to ‘legal’ highs

In country after country a vast array of new psychoactive substances, rapidly spread via online sources, is causing havoc for law and policy......