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The Drug Foundation wants Northland’s successful community-based Te Ara Oranga to serve as a model for methamphetamine harm deduction programmes around the country.
A new report jointly commissioned by the foundation and the Helen Clark Foundation says New Zealand’s approach to methamphetamine needs a thorough overhaul, with existing policies failing the community and causing significant harm.
Lead author Philippa Yasbek says the proposed health-based solutions are backed by evidence, but require proper resourcing and a genuine policy shift away from locking people up.
A recent evaluation of Te Ara Oranga showed that it reduced post-referral offending by 34 percent and had a return on investment of between $3 and $7 per dollar spent.
The report also recommends people who are unable to completely abstain from methamphetamine after other treatment attempts are given a suitable substitute rather than be sent back into the black market.
Ms Yasbek says the reasons people use methamphetamine can be complex, including unmet health needs such as untreated ADHD.
Other changes recommended in the report include developing more kaupapa Māori treatment and support options, a greater focus on harm reduction, and removal of criminal penalties for methamphetamine use.
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