The Helen Clark Foundation 106d ago

For over 50 years, New Zealand and many other countries have largely followed a prohibition response to illicit drugs, underpinned by the idea that a ‘drug-free world’ is possible. Despite this, the global drug supply continues to increase, with new and more harmful drugs regularly entering the market. A harm reduction approach takes a different focus, aiming to minimise the negative health and social consequences of drug use, without necessarily requiring that people are abstinent. The principles of harm reduction focus on upholding the rights of people who use drugs, and ensuring they have a real voice in programmes designed to support them. This includes programmes such as safer supply, overdose prevention, drug checking, and provision of sterile drug use equipment. In this webinar, we will discuss the status of harm reduction policies in New Zealand, and consider what would be needed to take a more comprehensive harm reduction approach to drugs in this country. *Membership promotion runs during March 2026. Tote bags will be shipped to New Zealand addresses only.