New Zealand - Press Release: Well Done on tackling Volatile Substance Misuse (NZ)

[~lostgurl~]

Well Done on tackling Volatile Substance Misuse

17 May 2007
Scoop Independent News
Press Release: New Zealand Government

Well done, Wellington, on tackling Volatile Substance MisuseJim Anderton today congratulated Wellington City Council on the up-and-coming launch of Wellington’s New Zealand Retailers Code of Practice – Sensible Selling: Reducing Volatile Substance Misuse, this week.

“As Minister responsible for the National Drug Policy, one of the most disturbing issues that I have had to deal with is the continuing presence of volatile substance abuse. The level of this type of abuse is down since its peak in the 1980s but it's hard to celebrate that fact when you read a coroner's report on six deaths of young New Zealanders from volatile substance abuse, as I did in 2005.

“The Ministerial Committee on Drug Policy, which I Chair, met a representative of the retailers association late last year to discuss possible ways that we could lower the statistics even further in this area. In particular we raised the possibility of a Retailers Code that would get buy-in from retailers nationally.

“Therefore the announcement of a Wellington code is most welcome and will inform the work that the New Zealand Drug Foundation is already undertaking on this issue for the Ministry of Health. The intention is to evaluate the Wellington resource, and to ensure it is in line with best practice, with a view to releasing the resource nationally. “As I understand it, the Wellington resource has been developed as a joint effort between the Wellington City Council, the New Zealand Retailers Association and a local member of Parliament.

It is only through the concerted efforts of central and local government, retailers and Parliamentarians from all parties that we will see a reduction in this most unfortunate practice of volatile substance misuse, which so often ends tragically,” Jim Anderton said.

Examples of volatile substances are glue, petrol, butane gas and LPG.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0705/S00394.htm

[lulz]

Originally Posted by ~lostgurl~

“As Minister responsible for the National Drug Policy, one of the most disturbing issues that I have had to deal with is the continuing presence of volatile substance abuse. The level of this type of abuse is down since its peak in the 1980s

Translation: better drugs have become more available.

Well done, War On Drugs!