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 makeContinue reading “Wendy’s presentation from the Parliamentary Symposium on Drugs”
Tag Archives: law reform
We have our own Bill! But what does that really mean?
The Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill passed last week, and I’m pretty sure you could hear KnowYourStuff volunteers cheering from outer space. The Bill amends the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013. It means we can go to events and give harm reduction advice openly and legally. Out withContinue reading “We have our own Bill! But what does that really mean?”
Where to from here?
Early in the New Year, Police Minister Hon Stuart Nash, speaking about drug checking at festivals, said “I think they’re a fantastic idea and should be installed at all our festivals.” While this was met with cautious optimism from those seeking reform, not everyone was celebrating. An editorial in the NZ Herald raised the concern that “Testing drugsContinue reading “Where to from here?”
Minister of Health makes a positive step towards the change we want to see
KnowYourStuffNZ welcomes the move by Health Minister David Clark, announced today, to seek advice about the removal of legal barriers to drug safety testing in New Zealand. This follows recent Government moves to promote a health and harm-reduction focused approach to drug policy, as expressed by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden’s statements to the United Nations thisContinue reading “Minister of Health makes a positive step towards the change we want to see”