Prohibition has never worked.
“

 

Sound familiar?  Taken further, Nixon’s War on Drugs, was a brilliant political move. It not only resulted in his landslide re-election in 1972, but also as an approach, it was copied all around the world. All too often, bad public policy is good politics.

Not only has drug use and deaths related to crime and violence across the world  continued to escalate, but new waves of harm from pharmaceutical and other synthetic products wreak harm; particularly in vulnerable communities.

The recent Cannabis legalisation debate provided a start for a more open and evidenced discussion. In calling for the funding currently spent on policing and incarcerating drug users to be available to empower community-based organisations, provide access to effective treatment for mental health and addictions, and a raft of health, social and other measures that could accompany the decriminalisation of drugs, provides a glimmer of hope to those who have been calling for such change.

Professor Michael Baker, known for his work on the Covid-19 response and establishment of the Needle Exchange Programme in NZ in the late 1980s, has just been appointed to the board of the NZ Drug Foundation. Baker’s decision to join to take up the role is warmly welcomed, bringing this respected public health expert, and his perspectives as a harm reduction proponent, into an arena where policy change is sorely needed.

The collective response to Covid-19, where the Government, the public, scientists, and science communicators firmly demonstrated the effectiveness of using evidence (often in the face of uncertainty, misinformation, political dissension, and fear) to inform public perceptions and influence health policy.

Let’s hope that in Aotearoa, drug policy development will “put science and evidence first, shed Nixon's shadow and re-write our drug laws based on public health principles at the core”.

 

 

Food insecurity is defined as a lack of assured access to sufficient nutritious food.  The 2019 study Household Food Insecurity Among Children in New Zealand identified that nearly a million children aged 0-14 in New Zealand experience severe to moderate food insecurity. The report highlighted the association between low socioeconomic position and household food insecurity.

The nutritional quality of food consumed in households (for example meeting fruit and vegetable guidelines, avoiding obesogenic fast foods and fizzy drinks) varied significantly, and lack of access to healthy food was strongly correlated with poverty, deprivation, housing insecurity, and being of Pacific and Māori ethnicity.

It confirmed that children in food-insecure households fare worse than children in food-secure households on indicators of health, development, and access to health services. Their parents were more likely to report psychological distress and, more specifically, stress related to parenting.

At the same time, there are rising levels of food waste. Up to 8.6 percent of all weekly food spend is ending up in landfills around the country, generating greenhouse gasses such as methane. Such gross waste and inequality could be constructed as a breach of human rights.

Taking a  Health in all policies. approach to food insecurity is especially important during a pandemic. Not only does a healthy diet play a vital role in supporting the immune system, but food supply chains may be disrupted, there may be a financial impact from insecure work, and access to healthy and affordable food options may not be available and accessible to all residents. Additionally, an economic downturn places more demand on food banks, community pantries and food rescue services. Longer-term, urban food growing and foraging (e.g. mahinga kai, growing at home, school, parks and community gardens) can be encouraged and supported to increase access, self-sufficiency and food sharing.

A recent study by McKerchar, Lacey & Signal, Ensuring the right to food for indigenous children examined food insecurity and obesity in tamariki Māori, taking a human rights and policy approach to tackling this long-standing and insidious issue. 
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They concluded that “The right to food for indigenous children, is linked to political and economic systems that are an outcome of colonisation. A decolonising approach where Māori voices and values are central within NZ policies and policy-making processes is needed. Given the importance of food to health, a broad policy approach from the NZ government to ensure the right to adequate food is urgent. This includes economic policies to end child poverty and specific strategies such as food provision and food policy in schools. The role of Iwi (tribes) and local governments needs to be further explored if we are to improve the right to adequate food within regions of NZ”.  

They advocate for:  1) a comprehensive policy response that supports children’s rights; 2) an end to child poverty;  3) food provision and healthy food policy in schools;  4) local government policy to promote healthy food availability, and 5) stronger Māori voices and values in decision-making.

In a country where food exports comprise over 65% of all merchandise exports, this timely and insightful study challenges us all to improve access to healthy food for all.

( Main Source: http://https://www.researchreview.co.nz/nz/Clinical-Area/Other-Health/Maori-Health/Maori-Health-Review-Issue-91.aspx )