Until we have Intervention, Treatment and Rehabilitation for these people, this situation will only worsen. How long must we wait?”

Media Release:

16th February 2009

News Flash: Drug Users have Mental Health problems !!!

A new report released by Otago University calls for urgent improvements in the diagnosis and care of young people with alcohol and drug abuse problems. It cites mental health issues, lack of retention in Treatment facilities due to discipline issues and early self-removal, and a lack of adequately trained Staff.

But the MOH Director of Mental Health, Dr David Chaplow, said the Ministry was already aware of those issues, because a number of AOD Treatment Services had already reported them.

He agreed that Staff needed to be adequately skilled in order to provide the necessary interventions. But – he went on to say that “residential programmes were a last resort for addicted youths”.

Christine Davey, Sensible Sentencing's Spokesperson on Drug Issues, says that “it is hardly surprising that youth who abuse alcohol and drugs have mental health issues – it is widely recognised that the introduction of these substances before the early 20's, when the brain has fully developed, causes mental health problems.

Furthermore, the discipline issues often come down to breaking the Zero Tolerance Abstinence Rule – at which point they are removed from the Treatment Course. What exactly are they supposed to do then? Abstinence for these young (and old) people is extremely hard to adhere to after a lifestyle of alcohol and drug abuse, and it's completely unrealistic to expect them not to relapse at some stage. There has to be a safety net for them to fall into, rather than just sending them back out onto the streets. Self-referrals are able to walk away whenever they like, because they volunteered for the Treatment.

As for “residential programmes being a last resort” - actually they're by far the preferred option for the families of these young people. They need to be removed from their normal environment and given an opportunity to experience a different way of life. They need to have their cellphones removed so they are unable to be tempted by their former Contacts. Parents are simply unable to enforce this within the home.

If illicit drug use can be proved BEFORE further crimes against society are committed, these people must be taken off the streets and rehabilitated for their own good and the good of the community. Too many innocent people are dying as a result of non-intervention in illicit drug use – the most recent being Halatau Naitoko, mistakenly shot by Police instead of the P- fuelled, gun-toting Stephen McDonald, Karen Aims, brutally murdered by a 14 year-old marijuana user, and Emma Agnew, also brutally murdered, at the hands of P addict Liam Reid.

Marijuana and P users are committing offences just by using these substances; they are the ticking timebombs Judge Andrew Becroft warned us about, and a problem John Key promised his National Government would tackle.

Until we have Intervention, Treatment and Rehabilitation for these people, this situation will only worsen. How long must we wait?”

Christine Davey has first hand experience of P use in her family, and also supports many other NZ parents in her role as Administrator on the Fight Against P website www.fightagainstp.com

Through the Sensible Sentencing Trust Christine is campaigning for intervention in drug use at family request and removal of children from the care of known drug-users.

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