The Law On Drugs Is Working
The claim is always made the “war on drugs” isn’t working and that we should legalise all drugs. The Drug Foundation want you to believe that EVERYONE is using drugs and the law is failing. But actually, they’re deceiving you. Let’s change it slightly and ask – is the law on drugs working? The latest research from the Ministry of Health suggests that – actually – the law IS working.
Show script:
The Law On Drugs Is Working
The claim is always made the “war on drugs” isn’t working and that we should legalise all drugs.
The Druggie Foundation want you to believe that EVERYONE is using drugs and the law is failing.
But actually, they’re deceiving you.
Let’s change it slightly and ask – is the law on drugs working?
The latest research from the Ministry of Health and not from drug proponents like the Druggie Foundation or the Green party suggests that actually the law is working – thanks partly to excellent work by the Police to break up cartels and drug dealers.
Here’s a typical news article that you will read from the legacy media.
Would legalising cannabis lead to an overall reduction in substance-related harm?
This is the “tantalising” prospect teased in a new study into whether cannabis is a substitute or complement for alcohol: 60% of those using both said their cannabis use resulted in drinking less on a “typical occasion”, and also drinking less frequently.
“If cannabis was legal, it wouldn’t stop people drinking. But if they reduced the quantity of alcohol they drank, that would be quite a considerable public health gain,” said Massey University Associate Professor Chris Wilkins, co-author of the paper Exploring the substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs.
It shows the harms of drugs – and note which one is causing the most harm. The legal one – alcohol.
But apparently getting stoned will stop you getting drunk.
And apparently that’s good.
If you go on the argument that legalising cannabis will lessen the harm (in the orange circle) then why don’t we legalise cocaine and ecstasy (as shown in the yellow circles) because the harm is less.
The logic in this argument is appalling.
By the way, out the right I’ve circled “No Harm”. That’s the “don’t use drugs” column. How surprising.
But here’s the important bit.
The paper is based on a 2020 online survey of 23,500 people (26,000 minus 2500 following a quality audit) interested in activities associated with drug use, including drinking.
They were asked about their drug use… The most prevalent drug used by respondents in the previous six months was alcohol (87% of respondents), followed by cannabis (68%), tobacco (57%), MDMA (45%), LSD (26%), cocaine (12%), methamphetamine (7%),
68% using cannabis. 45% using ecstasy. 12% on cocaine. 7% on meth.
OK – that’s not a normal population, is it.
Online. Drug community. No control group. Self reported. Not representative. Recruits people. It’s crappy “research”.
These are hard core drug users. They’re trying to make us think that legalising cannabis is going to somehow drive all these people from harder drugs, and that drugs are more common than they are.
Then there was this more recent one – June of this year
NZ drug report shows sharp rise in cocaine, methamphetamine use
Cocaine consumption in New Zealand has surged by 229% in recent years, reflecting a broader increase in illicit drug use across the country. The latest annual Drug use in Aotearoa report for 2023/24 showed a sharp increase in methamphetamine and cocaine consumption, and an uptick in frequency of use.
229% sounds a heck of a lot. But then
Cocaine consumption more than tripled in 2024 compared to the previous three years’ average, with 2.4% of adults reporting that they used the drug at least once in the past year in 2023/24. The use of methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and psychedelics are all part of the rising trend highlighted in the report.
Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said…
Can you guess?
She said the Drug Foundation thinks it is time to enable more medical access to certain drugs such as psychedelics and MDMA and to stop prosecuting people who use them. Helm said the increases in cocaine and methamphetamine use demonstrate the folly of New Zealand’s 50-year-old drug laws.
Ah yes – legalise all drugs.
“Our current system feels like we have control, but the data shows it’s quite the opposite. “This report shows methamphetamine and cocaine use has surged despite record-breaking drug busts and seizures, and anecdotally we are hearing about increased harm as a result.
So they say that basically all drugs have increased – methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and psychedelics.
Well let’s just check out the latest data.
Just before we do that, this was in the NZ Herald last week.
Use of dating apps for drug deals on the rise in New Zealand
People are using social media to do drug deals – and the implication is that consumption is on the rise, and the “war on drugs” is failing.
Here’s the source document – note it says
increasing cocaine use and availability and an increased availability of psychedelics.
But remember – this is based on surveying drug users. It was completed in the middle of last year by 10,781 New Zealanders from around the country who were recruited, were drug users, no control group. This is about the drug community – a very small community as we will soon see.
So let’s look at the latest data from the Ministry of Health.
The annual New Zealand Health Survey data has just been released. It interviews 9,000 adults and 3,000 children each year and asks about all aspects of their health – including drug use. And the survey has been conducted annually since 2011 so it gives very good trends. And it’s not just interviewing drug users. It’s a cross representation of all NZers.
So let’s look at the latest data around the prevalence of drug use
So here’s cannabis use – people who have smoked a joint or used cannabis at least once in the past 12 months. 14.1% – and actually it’s dropped slightly
In terms of regular use, just 4.6% – and once again, it’s dropped. Oops. Don’t tell the Drug Foundation.
The law seems to be working.
Down the bottom right it shows regular use by youth and young adults (15-24) at 7-8%.
Contrast that with what’s happened in US states where they’ve legalised cannabis. 31 – 35% regular users. Now that’s monthly rather than weekly – but still regular users. 35% compared to our 8% where its illegal.
The law on drugs is working.
Cocaine. Yes there was a jump between 2023 and 2024 – but in the latest year it’s dropped. And still just 2.4% who have used it at least once in the last year. Could have been that one party.
This is the party pill that the Drug Foundation suggests they can test so that its safe. But no drug taking is safe, and they have no control over dosage or combining drugs. It’s playing Russian Roulette with lives.
But note that it’s been hovering around the 4.6% mark – and even a drop this year.
Very small usage.
Meth, P, crack, amphetamines.
1%. And a slight drop in the past 12 months.
Wow – the law on drugs is working.
Hallucinogens – LSD, mushrooms, ketamine. Just 2.5% and a drop in the past 12 months.
But didn’t the news article I showed you earlier from June say that all drugs have increased – methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and psychedelics. Cocaine consumption tripled.
Except it didn’t. They made that up.
But drug use has had little rises and falls – but in the past 12 months,
How could the Druggie Foundation get it so wrong?
Because they rely their reporting not only on the Ministry of Health’s credible data – but only one year rather than looking at the overall trend – but they also used the flawed approach of relying on the self reported non-representative admissions of the drug community who may be just consuming more themselves – but it doesn’t mean that individual users have increased.
In fact quite the opposite has happened.
The law on drugs is working.
But the Drug Foundation can’t scream for legalisation – with the help of the compliant media – when it’s only a small hard core group that are using drugs eh – and remember, some of the users will be using more than one drug. They’ll be counted more than once.
So the actually numbers of users may be even lower.
What is also likely happening is that some drug users are becoming more addicted and are using more.
All the more reason to have a law – and drug courts – which coerces drug users into the treatment they need.
But next time you hear “the war on drugs isn’t working”, ignore it.
You now know that the law on drugs is working. And credit to the NZ Police and drug squads for all their hard work to protect communities from drug dealers, addiction and drug harm to our communities.
And just like we’re aiming for SmokeFree New Zealand, let’s also aim for DrugFree New Zealand.
