Drugs
Why NZ loves doing spots so much
“It appeals to the New Zealand DIY spirit."
New clinics offer free drug checking five days a week
Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin are getting a new regular drug checking service.
Nangs to the door: the curious rise of NZ’s ‘whipped cream’ industry
Why the hell am I so aggressively being advertised whipped cream paraphernalia?
Police issue MDMA warning after 20-year-old dies in Christchurch
Urgent call for people to test their drugs after serious incidents
'War on drugs has failed': Calls for a new way to tackle meth harm in NZ
Several recommendations have been made in a new report to tackle the drug's harm in NZ.
Bracing for fentanyl: NZ experts push for safe drug-using space
“An overdose prevention centre would offer a more compassionate, health-based approach."
1 in 3 drugs sold in NZ aren’t what you think
"There’s no cocaine in the sample”
Meth laced MDMA tablet found in NZ for first time
Methamphetamine has reportedly been found in an MDMA tablet in New Zealand for the first time.
How microdosing mushrooms can help mental health
More research shows the active ingredient in shrooms can help with the effects of trauma.
Festival drug-checking services will now receive government funding
Drug-checking services at summer festivals will receive government funding for the first time.
Lockdown can mean riskier drug use. Here's some advice to handle that
Right now, it’s more important than ever to have reliable information around safe drug use.
From nangs to comedowns, here's 10 stories about drugs
In case you missed it, last week Re: brought you a whole week of content dedicated to drugs.
I started one of NZ’s first Discord drug servers at 18
The mastermind of one of NZ’s first illegal drug servers was an 18-year-old Wellington student.
Talking to a dark web drug dealer who got caught
A drug dealer shares the story of why he started importing and how he got busted.
Two people who need medicinal cannabis: one legally, one on the black market | Side by Side
Is medicinal cannabis actually accessible and affordable for those who need it?
What if we decriminalised all drugs | Let Me Explain
Portugal decriminalised all drugs in 2001. Could the same work here?
Comedowns are the worst, but they don’t have to be
What if it’s not the drug that gives comedowns, but instead the way people take it?
Talking to the brave people who asked their dealers for refunds
A surprising number of students are getting refunds from their drug dealers after buying "MDMA"
The FBI made an app that tricked thousands of drug dealers around the world, including NZ
In NZ, 35 people were arrested and over 900 charges were laid against senior members gang members.
'Cannabis sommelier' is an actual job. Here's what they do.
‘Cannabis sommelier’ is an actual job. Kaya, a certified cannabis sommelier, explains what they do.
Drug laws need to be scrapped, say advocacy groups
Nearly 25 health and social organisations have signed an open letter asking the Government to repeal and replace current “unfair” drug laws with those that focus…
Why the US Drug Enforcement agency is coming to Aotearoa
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are setting up shop in New Zealand. With the continual growing popularity of Class A drugs like methamphetamine amongst Kiwis, combined…
Pill testing doesn’t make you any more likely to take drugs, research finds
New research has found pill-testing services do not result in people taking MDMA if they had not used the drug before.
The research also found that pill…
40 percent of MDMA in NZ this summer was actually cathinones
Drug checking organisation Know Your Stuff has found nearly 40% of MDMA was actually eutylone.
Drug checking will be made legal in NZ in time for festivals this summer
Drug checking allows people to safely find out what's really in their pills.
Why people are taking the 'date rape' drug
With rising hospitalisations from liquid ecstasy experts say drug checking at festivals is needed.
Stoners tell us why they smoke and how legalising might impact them
Stoners are hidden everywhere. From business executives to teachers, people from all walks of life love to toke every now and then.
The idea of Kiwis being…
A weed dealer on the constant threat of violence that comes with the job
Eighty percent of New Zealanders have tried weed by the age of 21, and between 250,000 and 400,000 of us are using it weekly. But because…
A majority of NZers say they will vote to keep weed illegal
A new poll says majority of NZers would vote against legalising weed.
Explainer: the cannabis referendum that could make weed legal in New Zealand
At this year’s election, as well as voting on who we want to be in government, we will also be asked this question: Do you support the…