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United Future New Zealand recognises the detrimental effects drug and alcohol abuse has on individuals, families and society. Approximately 80% of all crime is drug or alcohol related with 70% of all prison inmates admitting they have had a dependency problem at some time in their life.
It is therefore vital to have a balanced, comprehensive drug strategy which focuses reasonably equally on prevention (education), deterrence and treatment. Attempting to deal with the problem of drug dependency in a piecemeal manner is a recipe for exacerbating the problem. Our policy therefore has a focus on prevention.
Interim Initiatives
UNITED FUTURE WILL
- Establish a Strategic Task Force on Drugs to determine the level of drug use and misuse in society and establish a public awareness campaign.
- Establish a Drug Education Authority to approve scientific and educational information on drugs.
- Analyse overseas treatment and deterrence programmes to determine worthwhile processes.
- Introduce drug education into the intermediate and secondary school curricula.
- Promote assistance programmes including peer support and research into the role of drugs and alcohol in youth suicides.
Drugs & Health
UNITED FUTURE WILL
- Ensure proper funding for residential treatment centres.
- Institute a review on methadone availability and reliance.
- Encourage greater emphasis on co-ordination between alcohol and drug services and mental health services.
- Ensure drug problems are treated by appropriate agencies and any underlying psychoses treated in the appropriate facility.
- Place health warnings on certain solvent products and gases.
Drugs & the Law
UNITED FUTURE WILL
- Offer an educational and treatment option as an alternative to a legal process when an individual is apprehended for drug use.
- Re-classify drugs so they relate more effectively to health, behavioural and legal problems.
- Require prison inmates to take full toxicology testing on admission to prison, to establish the level of drug use and provide them with a clean start through tailored programmes.
- Increase commitment to drug-free prison units and establish drug-free prisons.
- Encourage worksite drug testing alongside employee assistance programmes.
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