Govt sending mixed drug message
Thursday, 7 October 2004, 8:34 am
Press Release: United Future NZ Party
Govt sending mixed drug message
United Future law &
order spokesman Marc Alexander has charged the Government
with sending mixed messages to the nation’s schoolchildren
about drug use.
After raising the topic in Parliament
today, Mr Alexander said “On the one hand, Justice Minister
Phil Goff is telling us the Labour Government is tough on
drugs, wants to take drug revenues off the gangs and stop
the manufacture of methamphetamines to halt the P
epidemic.
“On the other hand, the Ministry of Youth
Development is sending out drug education booklets to
schools that takes a harm minimisation approach, rather than
giving a drug avoidance message.
“Indeed, the booklet
avoids promoting abstinence because it “stigmatises
experimentation with drugs as deviant behaviour”.
“So
we have one arm of Government battling to halt the drug
scourge while another government agency is telling our kids
‘a little bit’s OK’.
“The Government’s got to get its
act together on this matter and it should do it soon,” said
Mr Alexander.
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