Julian Buchanan, Kirsten Gibson, Brandon Hutchison and Adam Dorsett. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Calls are growing for a radical reform of drug laws, despite the government saying it has no intention to do so.
With this year marking 50 years of The Misuse of Drugs Act, researchers, advocates and those who've struggled with addiction are renewing their appeals for a complete overhaul.
It comes as the government announced a crackdown on methamphetamine harm.
Adam Dorsett said he turned to drugs at age 14, after an early childhood suffering physical and sexual abuse.
"When I used drugs, it was like a release valve. Because I was very traumatised, and I couldn't fit in, I didn't feel included."
He said his search for heroin led him into shoplifting, then burglaries, armed robberies and into prisons in Australia - where he found drugs were still available.
Dorsett said if he could have accessed the drug safely, it would have removed his descent into a criminal lifestyle.
"If you're not searching, trying to get money, stealing, rorting, getting chased by police, getting chased by people you owe money to, all that gets taken away, if you get the drug and then what have you got left - what you've got left is your life and you can get on with your life."
He said he now took a regulated dose of methadone each day, which helped him to balance out the highs and lows in life, and stay functioning.
Dr Fiona Hutton, associate professor of criminology and member of Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa, said decades of prohibiting drugs hadn't stopped drug use, or its criminal trade.
The group held a symposium in Wellington recently discussing calls to reform the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Dr Fiona Hutton. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
She and other members were arguing The Misuse of Drugs Act should be repealed, and a new act should be established legalising and regulating drugs under a new approach.
"Drugs need to be treated as a health issue, so ideally that kind of legislation would sit under the Ministry of Health, rather than the Ministry of Justice, so we don't want to see it in the justice system."
She said different regulations would need to apply to the different levels of harms for each drug.
The Drug Foundation recently advocated for decriminalisation of drugs in its report calling to change The Misuse of Drugs Act, citing research that Portugal's rates of problematic drug use had dropped following decriminalisation, to having the third lowest rate of adult drug use in Europe.
Former associate professor Dr Julian Buchanan said he had also previously worked in drug clinics in Liverpool, giving addicts injectible heroin and methadone.
He said that allowed users access to safe and clean drugs, and took them away from getting drugs from gangs.
"We would say, get your life together, change the patterns of your life that you've currently got which is very chaotic and very enmeshed within a criminal underworld, stabilise your situation, and when you're ready and when you're prepared then we'll think about how you'll come off."
Associate Professor Dr Andy Towers, co-director of the Mental Health and Addiction Programme at Massey University, was not part of Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa.
He said legalising drugs now without any other changes was risky.
"If we legalise drugs and we used the same approach that we use to regulate alcohol use, or tobacco use, then we would be on a hiding to nothing.
"We would be increasing the harms that we are likely to see in some areas - reducing some others because it's legalised - but our current regulation of legal drugs is not good enough."
Towers said he supported decriminalising drug use, and legalising some lower-risk drugs like cannabis - but said any move must be carefully thought out.
He said drug laws didn't tend to have much of an effect on addiction rates - which were more about the drivers of addiction, as opposed to a drug's legal status.
"In order to reduce addiction, we have to go well beyond a focus on drug legislation and actually change fundamental issues with our health, wealth and social system."
On Sunday, the government announced what Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith called a "comprehensive action plan to combat methamphetamine harm in New Zealand".
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The response included a nationwide media campaign that would launch in the next few months, paid for by the proceeds of crime fund, that would raise awareness about the issue and the drugs harm.
An extra $30 million over four years from the mental health and addiction budget would go to front-line services, he said.
Goldsmith said the government would increase police enforcement abilities, including making amendments to the Search and Surveillance Act, including enabling the interception of communications and search evidence stored electronically.
In terms of changing drug laws, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey has said the government had no intention of liberalising them.
He said his focus was on a health-led response, balancing enforcement, prevention and treatment to keep communities safe and support people's recovery.
He said investment into addiction services had increased by 7.3 percent in recent years.
"Investment in addiction services and treatment has increased significantly in recent years, with approximately $246 million now being invested into specialist alcohol and other drug services.
"My goal is to stop people from starting, help those who want to stop, and support those who've stopped to stay off drugs."
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