Allowing people who are addicted to methamphetamine to legally use alternative substances as part of their recovery is one of several recommendations made by a new report to tackle the drug’s harm in Aotearoa. 

The report commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation and the NZ Drug Foundation says the stimulant substitution programme would involve giving people a stimulant under supervision if they’re still addicted to methamphetamine after two rounds of traditional rehab.  

Report lead author Philippa Yasbek says the treatment model, which is based on international evidence from Canada and Switzerland, could help people by “removing them from a cycle of crime by allowing them to stabilise their lives”. 

"It is better to pilot a tightly controlled supply to those who are using the drug, under limited circumstances, and keep them safe and engaged with harm reduction services,” Yasbek says. 

“The alternative is to leave supply to the illegal market which will just profit from sales and try to keep people addicted.”

The report comes just days after the NZ Drug Foundation called for a three-year pilot of an overdose prevention centre in Auckland which would provide a safe, medically-supervised space for people to use drugs to reduce harm and save lives. 

If approved by the Government, it would be the first centre of its kind in Aotearoa. 

Nationwide rollout of successful rehab pilot recommended

The report also calls for Te Ara Oranga, a successful rehabilitation programme piloted in Northland, to be rolled out across the country. 

Te Ara Oranga is a holistic approach to drug harm reduction that involves partnerships between the police, social workers, addiction services, iwi providers, and other agencies. 

The programme acknowledges the importance of supporting users as well as their whānau and communities to reduce the harm caused by drugs. 

Former Prime Minister and Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy Helen Clark says expanding Te Ara Oranga nationally is a “no brainer”.

“It has been found to reduce offending by 34% and is estimated to return up to $7 on each dollar invested," she says.

"We must do what works instead of just trying the same tired old approaches. We must focus relentlessly on harm minimisation rather than just locking people into a cycle of addiction and incarceration.”

Other evidence-based recommendations in the report include ensuring culturally appropriate programmes support Māori and other marginalised groups, as well as targeting services in areas with the highest demand, such as small towns in the Bay of Plenty, Northland, and Hawke’s Bay. 

Tackling the underlying causes of methamphetamine abuse

The report also recommends addressing the underlying issues and unmet health needs which can make a person more vulnerable to methamphetamine use. 

For example, this includes improving early diagnosis and effective treatment of ADHD which is a risk factor for methamphetamine use, particularly when undiagnosed and untreated. 

Dr Marta Rychert, a Senior Researcher at Massey University’s Shore and Whāriki Research Centre, says the report's recommendations are timely. 

“New Zealand is among countries with the highest use of methamphetamine globally, with latest data showing 1.2% of adults have used methamphetamine in the past year,” she says. 

This is more than 60,000 people.

"Methamphetamine use and problems are concentrated in neighbourhoods with higher deprivation levels,” Rychert says.  

“Ultimately, underlying issues in those communities – such as poverty, housing insecurity, limited employment, and education opportunities – need to be addressed if we want to tackle the issue long term." 

Top image: Close-Up Of Methamphetamine/stock photo. Credit: Getty Images

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