Articles with category: Article
Psychoactive Substances Act 101
A world-leading piece of legislation has been passed in New Zealand to regulate new psychoactive substances. What is it all about, how does it work, and where do we go from here?
Turning tide on compulsory treatment
Slave labour. Torture. Forced medical research. It reads like some bleak, distant history – but it’s the contemporary reality for government drug treatment in East and Southeast Asia.
Needles and NIMBYs
The cry “Not in my back yard!” is often heard when communities are confronted by a social solution they don’t fully understand.
Where there is life, there is hope
Harm reduction is about respect, and saving lives. What is the current state of harm reduction services, and how can they be scaled up for greater impact?
About a drug: Salvia
It’s not exactly the average herb you’ll find in your grandmother’s garden.
Q&A: Tariana Turia
Māori Party Co-leader Hon. Tariana Turia has mounted a personal crusade against smoking and has been a staunch advocate for Māori health and wellbeing. Matters of Substance sat down with Mrs Turia to talk about the fight with Big Tobacco, h
Mythbusters: Drugs are legal in Portugal
After massively reforming its drug policy at the turn of the century, Portugal stands as a global leader of evidencebased policy grounded on the principle of harm reduction. The situation seems to be working, with more people in treatment a
Viewpoints: Should we use the word ‘addict’?
‘Addict’ may be a completely appropriate medical term, but could using it in a treatment environment actually do more harm than good?
Prevention first
Police are uniquely placed to be first responders to alcohol, drug and mental health call-outs in our communities, but how do they fare?
Healing from the inside out
A new programme for students and by students has helped a troubled little community get back on its feet by getting young people to look inwards and talk about the pain behind bad behaviour and drug use.
Pissing in the wind
James Robinson dives into pop culture to see how Hollywood is affecting our attitudes towards drugs and their use.
Catching up with reality
The new DSM-V will launch next month. Will it spell a radical shift for the way our clinicians deal with addiction? Russell Brown looks at the New Zealand situation.