Is our approach to drugs fit to deal with fentanyl?

Experts are concerned about our preparedness to cope with a fentanyl outbreak and say part of the problem is our drug law.

Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Wednesday, June 29, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.

In today’s edition:  visa scheme expanded after Ardern meets Sánchez; workforce shortages hit cultural sector; allied health workers accept pay deal; but first, detection of fentanyl in New Zealand raises issue of drug law reform.

Police rely on Drug Foundation to donate Naloxone, a treatment that reverses an opioid overdose (Image: Mark Oniffrey CC-BY-SA-4.0)

68% of New Zealanders support a rewrite of the Misuse of Drugs Act 

In 2020 I took a paper on alcohol, drugs and addiction. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing but it did give me some understanding of why the Misuse of Drugs Act is called a Frankenstein by those advocating for an overhaul of our drug laws. Today on The Spinoff, Duncan Grieve joins this call, writing “unless we want to end up with the breaking wave upon wave of entirely avoidable tragedy seen in the US, it’s time for this country to leave its drug laws in the 70s and build something fit for the 2020s.” A poll released by the Drug Foundation over the weekend found 68% of New Zealanders agree with him.

Concerns raised after fentanyl overdoses

Grieve has written his piece today in response to the news that powdered fentanyl has been detected in New Zealand. 12 people were hospitalised in Wairarapa after taking what they thought was cocaine and methamphetamine. Fentayl is a highly dangerous synthetic opioid. If you are familiar with Empire of Pain (a 2021 book by Patrick Radden Keefe) or DopeSick (the TV series based on the book of the same name by Beth Macy) you will know something about the opioid crisis in the US. 60,000 people lost their lives to fentanyl overdoses in the US last year. 

New Zealand “grossly underprepared” for a fentanyl outbreak

Sarah Helm, executive director of the Drug Foundation, says we are grossly underprepared for a fentanyl outbreak. Helm’s concern is two-fold. She is concerned about access to harm reduction services and treatments. Police don’t have their own supply of Naloxone, a treatment that reverses an opioid overdose, and rely on kits donated by the Drug Foundation. Secondly, she says, based on what’s happened in the US, overdoses are amplified by “a mess of a drug law”. This article on The Conversation walks through the international evidence around drug policy and rates of drug harm. Fentanyl was reclassified in May under the Misuse of Drugs Act. At the time, Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick took the opportunity in the house to argue, once again, that our drug laws need replacing. 

A long line of reviews

For one of my uni assignments, I wrote a hubristic faux briefing to the incoming health minister. No one, let alone the health minister, should read it but there is one line I am OK with repeating: “For as long as the Misuse of Drugs Act is the dominant legislative lens through which we view drug use, we will continue to fail at treating it as a health issue.” Undergraduate pontifications aside, that is also in line with findings from the Law Commission in 2010, the He Ara Oranga Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction in 2018 and global bodies advising on drug policy. Despite an open letter from the Medical Association, the Public Health Association and the Mental Health Foundation, when asked about drug law reform in 2021, health minister Andrew Little said it was off the cards. For now. With 68% of people saying they want to see reform and the inadequate framework we have to deal with the effects of a drug like fentanyl in New Zealand, now-ish might be good.

One of the world’s biggest names joined Tova O’Brien last week to talk about fame, the media and why Dunedin holds a special place in his heart. Ed Sheeran told O’Brien despite being one of the most recognisable singers in the world, he’s not had much trouble with the media. “They’re quite respectful if you are consistent. I have always been the same and just said ‘I want privacy.’” Listen to the full interview on Today FM. (Sponsored)

Visa scheme between New Zealand and Spain expanded

The Herald’s Thomas Coughlan has a rundown on prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s day in Madrid. Ardern met with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez. There was an exchange of football jerseys and Sánchez was also given All Blacks and Black Ferns jerseys (the first time both have been gifted). The main outcome is an expansion of the working holiday visa scheme for young people in both countries. The cap was 200 and has been lifted to 2000. A seabird action plan was also announced which looks like a further iteration of a previous memorandum of understanding between Spain and New Zealand signed in 2021 to reduce seabird catch. Ardern met with the French president Emmanuel Macron at 4am (NZ time). The EU/NZ free trade agreement was on the agenda. As Coughlan writes, Macron is open to liberalising trade but trade deals are unpopular in France, and Macron's party recently lost parliamentary elections. Legislation to enact our free trade agreement with the United Kingdom was introduced in parliament yesterday.

Workforce shortages may see theatres go dark

A few interesting reports about the workforce and employment issues in our cultural sector at the moment. Worker shortages are hitting just about every industry right now and, as Newsroom’s Jean Bell reports, this includes the performing arts and events sectors.  She spoke to Auckland Theatre Company CEO Jonathan Bielski, who said “There’s a real possibility we might have to cancel performances or reschedule” because of the current shortage of skilled technical staff required to get shows up and running each night. Newsroom Pro’s Jono Milne has a story on the current review of sick leave provisions, including for contractors (very common to be one in the performing arts), and speaks to New Zealand actor, Marianne Infante. Infante recently made a submission at select committee calling for fair pay agreements, holiday pay and sick leave for contractors. The Big Idea recently ran this feature on the number of arts leaders leaving roles this year.

A vital message from The Spinoff’s publisher, Duncan Greive:

If you’re reading this, you’re hopefully getting value out of The Spinoff. Yet like many publishers, we’ve suffered a significant drop in members, despite our costs continuing to increase. On one level I understand why our membership has dropped away. As the cost of living has reached new heights and the pandemic has become less of an urgent news event and more of a part of day-to-day life, it’s totally normal to feel like you don’t need to support your local media organisation.
The promise we’re making to you is that we’re actually better suited to times like this than the pandemic itself. Of course we will continue to write about Covid-19 and the many effects it’s having on society, but our plan now is to return to something more of what made us, which is coverage of culture, politics, business, te ao Māori and more with heart and humour.
But we can’t do it without you. We need your support more than we ever have. So please, if you can, click here to support The Spinoff by becoming a member today. 

Pay deal for Allied health workers

Just wanted to close the loop on this one as it was covered in The Bulletin in April and May. Allied health workers have voted to accept a pay offer from DHBs. They will receive back-paid pay increases of $5700 and a lump sum of $2500, with further payments to come through the pay equity negotiation process. The deal will also see all Allied health workers paid above the living wage for the first time. Negotiations have taken 19 months and the workforce went on strike last month. The union representing the 10,000 strong workforce has said it’s an “example of what working people can do if they unite behind common issues”. 

Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz

Right now on The Spinoff:

In a labour market this tight, why are so many of us scared for our jobs? Bernard Hickey asks what's going on. Toby Manhire reads a new report into how much and what kind of bad stuff New Zealanders are seeing online. Law professor Timothy Kuhner looks at what the changes to electoral law mean for New Zealand’s democracy. Tara Ward watches the latest must-watch British police drama. Alex Casey wants to know why we can't watch Love Island at the pub.

New professional women’s basketball league tips off tonight

The Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa season starts in Christchurch tonight with a game between the Southern Hoiho and the Mainland Pouakai. The new league is a major step forward for women’s basketball. A commercial partnership with Sky means each club will receive $100,000 which is equivalent to the men’s basketball league teams. As Stuff’s Marc Hinton reports in this explainer on the new league, the competition is already bringing some of our best players home to play. Our most capped Tall Fern Micaela Cocks, will play for the Kāhu. All 33 games will be broadcast on SkySports. 

Do we need a new theory of evolution?

Whopper of a long read today on the small subject of the shaping of the entire development of life on Earth. It’s from Stephen Buranyi at the Guardian. Some scientists are arguing for an overhaul of evolutionary theory. Opponents have dismissed them as misguided careerists – and the conflict may determine the future of biology.

Breaking stories out of the US

Have been half-listening to the quite extraordinary testimony of former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson this morning. Hutchinson is appearing at a surprise hearing concerning the events on January 6, the day of the Capitol insurrection. If you’re interested, The Guardian has the details here. And Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping former financier Jeffrey Epstein abuse young girls.