Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill passes into law

Volunteer drug checking organisation KnowYourStuffNZ welcomes the news that drug checking will become permanently legal, with the passing of the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill through its third reading. Aotearoa New Zealand is the first country in the world to have explicitly legal drug checking. “The Act will provide permanent legal standing for ourContinueContinue reading “Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill passes into law”

Drug testing vs. drug checking

People keep asking us what we recommend for drug testing, or when our next drug testing day is because they want to get themselves tested for a pre-employment drug screen. We don’t do that. We do drug checking, not drug testing. Drug testing isn’t drug checking Drug testing is where someone asks you to peeContinueContinue reading “Drug testing vs. drug checking”

This was the summer of terrible drugs

KnowYourStuffNZ drug checking service was in huge demand this summer festival season. We doubled the number of tests from last summer and attended more events than ever before. KnowYourStuffNZ checked 2,744 samples at 27 events between April 2020 and March 2021. Our annual testing report and client survey have now been released. What we foundContinueContinue reading “This was the summer of terrible drugs”

Jez’s presentation from the Parliamentary Symposium on Drugs

Jez’s talk from the Parliamentary symposium. This talk is excellent on 2 fronts: 1) it shows what privilege does if it gets off its arse, and 2) it shows how unrealistic it is for Government to use us as a methodological model for other grassroots organisations to copy without coupling it with serious funding.

Wendy’s presentation from the Parliamentary Symposium on Drugs

Stigma. Like we’ve said before, it’s bullshit. It keeps people from coming forward and asking for the help they need. It creates an idea of who does and who doesn’t ‘deserve’ help, in spite of desperately needing it. It doesn’t fix any problems or reduce harms caused by using drugs. All stigma does is makeContinueContinue reading “Wendy’s presentation from the Parliamentary Symposium on Drugs”