New Zealand’s choice: Funding our drug policy

New Zealand’s choice: funding our drug policy is a new report by the Helen Clark Foundation, in collaboration with Dr Rose Crossin from the University of Otago. The report highlights how the New Zealand government spends money now responding to illegal drugs, and contrasts this against community views.

Drugs are a long-standing health, social, economic, and policy issue in New Zealand. Drug use continues to rise, despite largely prohibition-based policy settings. There have been multiple reviews recommending that the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 be repealed and replaced with a health-based approach to drugs. This research highlights that there is strong community support for greater investment in a health-based approach. This includes treatment, prevention, and harm reduction.

This research also explored deliberative democratic processes with a group of citizens from Christchurch. The group were able to reflect on evidence, discuss and debate drug policy, and reach agreement. They produced a consensus statement, which also reflected a health-based approach. This serves as a promising example of what could be achieved in New Zealand using deliberative democracy for drug policy reform.

This report makes four recommendations to improve drug policy in New Zealand, in ways that are consistent with community views. This presents an opportunity for our politicians to follow the evidence and move towards a health-based approach to drugs. Crucially, this research shows they would be supported by the community in doing so.

There are two versions of this report available for download; a Summary version containing key results and recommendations, and a Full version that has all the methodological detail which can be downloaded here.