NZDTS team members – Marta Rychert, Chris Wilkins, Thomas Graydon-Guy, Jose Romeo (Pepe) and Robin van der Sanden
This year's edition of the annual New Zealand Drug Trends survey reveals long-term trends in drug availability, price, and use of drugs. Professor Chris Wilkins discusses the findings in a 1 News interview. More detail can be found on the NZ Drug Trends webpage.
According to a recently published New Zealand study Exploring the substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs, 60% of cannabis and alcohol users say weed makes them drink less. Associate Professor Chris Wilkins discussed the implications for cannabis legalisation and other findings from the study in an interview with the New Zealand Herald.
Belinda Borell
Teah Carlson
Whariki researchers Dr Belinda Borell, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Whakatōhea, and Dr Teah Carlson, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Waikato-Tainui, have each received a four-year fellowship from the Health Research Council. Read more about Belinda and Teah on Massey News and an item on Teah’s project published in the New Zealand Herald.
Congratulations to Robin van der Sanden on graduating with a doctorate in Public Health from Massey University. Robin is pictured here with two of her supervisors, Marta Rychert and Chris Wilkins.
A new study published in Addiction addresses a gap in understanding around the full scope of alcohol-related harm. It estimates the reduction in healthy years of life lived due to alcohol consumed by another was greater than the impact on the drinker themselves in Aotearoa New Zealand and provides further evidence of the disproportionate impact of alcohol products on Māori. See further detail at Massey News where lead author Sally Casswell discusses the findings.
Professor Chris Wilkins discusses the implications of the return of pseudoephedrine to New Zealand pharmacies in the context of the wider changes identified in the meth market in recent years. TVNZ Breakfast
Funded Māori MA Thesis Scholarship!
MA thesis opportunity in a Marsden funded Māori media project, commencing 2024. Applications close 29 February 2024, 5pm
Please contact: Angela Moewaka Barnes
a.mwakabarnes@massey.ac.nz
Third wave of research bulletins from 2022/23 NZ Drugs Trends Survey (NZDTS) on vaping, medicinal cannabis, cannabis law reform and help seeking released today. Download here:
An opinion piece by Professor Sally Casswell entitled ‘Beware the influence of vested interests' input into the cannabis debate’ was published by Stuff.
The Lancet has published a Comment written by Sally Casswell to coincide with the WHO consultation process on the implementation of the global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol and the way forward, which will feed into the report from the Director General to the 2020 World Health Assembly. This will be the first time alcohol has appeared on the WHA agenda since the endorsement of the global strategy in 2010. The Comment argues a stronger response is required.
This short research bulletin presents preliminary findings from the second online New Zealand Drug Trends Survey (NZDTS) conducted in 2018/19 by the SHORE & Wharki Research Centre, Massey University. Download the bulletin here.
Massey University is hosting a series of public lectures on cannabis policy reform in the lead-up to the national referendum cannabis law planned for next year’s general election.
Associate Professor Chris Wilkins and Dr Marta Rychert from the SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre, in collaboration with colleagues from the College of Creative Arts’ Design & Democracy Project, are bringing speakers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, the United States and Uruguay to speak about the cannabis reforms enacted in their countries in a series of lectures open to the public in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington next month.
In addition to a public seminar being held in Wellington on 15 October, Massey University has partnered with the University of Auckland Public Policy Institute and University of Otago to bring the speakers to Auckland (October 17) and Christchurch (October 18).
This Health Research Council funded study, undertaken with 35 disabled children and young people and their whanau, has concluded that social attitudes can undermine inclusion and participation as much if not more than inaccessible built environments. To illustrate the effects of ableism of the wellbeing of disabled young people SHORE & Whariki researchers have collaborated with cartoonist Toby Morris. Link to Toby’s cartoon here.
Associate Professor Chris Wilkins joined Breakfast this morning to discuss wastewater drug testing and New Zealand’s meth problem. View the interview here.
