By 1news.co.nz
For the first time, regular and ongoing community drug-checking clinics are now available in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.
A drug user in his 20s, who lives in Wellington, is looking forward to visiting the new clinic. He prefers to get his drugs checked because he said it’s quite common for dealers to bulk out drugs with other substances in order to make more money.
“I was a little bit more relaxed knowing that what I was taking, what I spent my money on, isn’t going to potentially kill me,” he said.
Last year, 1720 drugs were checked to determine what was in them. A third of those were completely or partially different from what people thought they were.
The new clinics, provided by the Needle Exchange Services Trust, are part of a nearly four-million-dollar government investment towards the cost of delivering drug-checking services and harm reduction advice.
The trust’s national harm reduction lead, Jason George, said it was a milestone.
“It’s a milestone for New Zealand because we’re making drug checking more easily accessible to a wider range of people,” he said.
“It allows people to make more informed decisions about their drug use and as well as testing substances for people, we have talks with clients about ways to use their drugs safer.”
The service is free, legal, and completely confidential, with results available in just a couple of minutes. Previously, drug checks were available at festivals, events, or on a limited basis at community clinics at a range of locations.
Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick has been calling for more regular scheduled clinics across the country.
“Drug checking services save lives, it is proven time and again that the availability of these services means that people are less likely to take substances that are not what they thought they were but also likely to change people’s behaviour into the future to not be engaging in risky drug-taking behaviour,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Opposition’s associate health spokesperson Matt Doocey said the party wanted to review the trial’s results.
“National recognises that there is a problem with drug use in New Zealand. We will review the results of these clinics if we are fortunate to make government to see if it is successful.”
