Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: UNGASS and the "Drug Free World" illusion https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/ en-us Copyright (c) 2026 Public Address Steve Barnes https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358697#post358697 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358697#post358697 I have never been a great fan of fiction writing so I read very little anymore, apart from technical manuals and the like, the MSM just seems like a lifestyle mag these days.
So, the picture I have of the world is framed in terms of fiction, believable but true?.…

]]> Mon, 04 Apr 2016 10:37:33 +1200 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358664#post358664 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358664#post358664 I think your mistake here Alfie is treating something Coleman said on the issue as a statement made in good faith.

You're right Russell, and I fear the minister's problem could be symptomatic of deeper issues. Take these two news stories from today.

Such as this open letter signed by more…

]]> Sat, 02 Apr 2016 19:41:12 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358538#post358538 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358538#post358538 It's complicated Brent. Smoking any substance is really not that good for you so the smart people recommend vapourisers. Or edibles.

Or (cough, cough), both.

]]> Thu, 31 Mar 2016 14:55:11 +1300 Brent Jackson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358536#post358536 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358536#post358536 “even smoking as many as 20,000 cannabis joints does not increase the risk of lung cancer.”

Wow. I did not know that. I assumed that smoking weed would be similarly as bad as tobacco. So no need to press for legalised cannabis to be in pills or puffers to avoid…

]]> Thu, 31 Mar 2016 13:57:52 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358496#post358496 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358496#post358496 Wed, 30 Mar 2016 19:03:39 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358494#post358494 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358494#post358494 There's more on the Government relaxing a little about cannabis on Stuff, including a poll which asks, Are you in favour of a softening in stance for minor drug offenses? At this early stage it's 89% in favour.

There's an odd quote from Jonathan Coleman.
"I think we've got too…

]]> Wed, 30 Mar 2016 18:31:33 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358470#post358470 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358470#post358470 The Lancet/Johns Hopkins study has inspired more informed conversation on NZ's approach to drugs.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has this morning reiterated the Government's commitment to review drug policy and make sure drug offending is primarily seen as a health matter.

It's starting to feel like common sense may finally…

]]> Wed, 30 Mar 2016 13:30:40 +1300 Joe Wylie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358361#post358361 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358361#post358361 We live in interesting times.

A few more exceptions for those fated to die in these "interesting times" wouldn't hurt, surely.

]]> Tue, 29 Mar 2016 08:38:28 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358358#post358358 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=358358#post358358 There's more kerfuffle on the so called "loophole" which allows the import of legally prescribed medicinal cannabis. And there's still some confusion over the way Customs will choose to interpret the current law.

That story quotes Peter Dunne as saying "he believed the legalisation of medicinal cannabis was likely within…

]]> Tue, 29 Mar 2016 06:50:19 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=357172#post357172 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=357172#post357172 Progress in the UK with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (Leap) calling for a new approach to the war on drugs with the emphasis on harm minimisation rather than enforcement.

Former and serving police officers and officials from Britain, Europe and the US have told politicians in Westminster that the “war…

]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2016 11:58:36 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=357160#post357160 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=357160#post357160 Here’s a court case which may set a precedent. A woman from Golden Bay appeared in Nelson Court charged with importing medicinal cannabis products and five other related charges. She has a US prescription for medical cannabis and received a discharge without conviction.

The judge recognised that it should not…

]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2016 09:16:18 +1300 Daniel Carr https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356937#post356937 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356937#post356937 Mon, 29 Feb 2016 11:04:23 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356913#post356913 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356913#post356913 Moves to allow “drug-checking” at nightclubs and music festivals have won support in principle from Peter Dunne.

Well done Peter Dunne — it's refreshing to see harm reduction being given a greater priority.

In marked contrast, across the ditch NSW premier Mike Baird has his own answer to the problem…

]]> Sun, 28 Feb 2016 12:20:26 +1300 Sofie Bribiesca https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356885#post356885 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356885#post356885 Peter Dunne at harold today. Things could be on the up. ]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2016 18:00:55 +1300 andin https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356883#post356883 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356883#post356883 but even more to be made once the war ends and legal distribution becomes the order of the day.

That is the worst motivation for a just cause EVER!
When everyone becomes a law unto themselves
Chaos reigns supreme, and the Trumps of this world rise to the surface
Could…

]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2016 17:19:13 +1300 nzlemming https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356876#post356876 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356876#post356876 Australia's change of heart might be another nudge. After all, CER demands we retain parity... ;-) ]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2016 11:37:38 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356875#post356875 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356875#post356875 Well this is interesting:

Moves to allow "drug-checking" at nightclubs and music festivals have won support in principle from Peter Dunne.

After a Kapiti man died of a suspected drug overdose on Tuesday, and several fatal overdoses were reported in Australia this summer, the Drug Foundation said drug-checking kits could…

]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2016 11:27:37 +1300 tatjna https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356847#post356847 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356847#post356847 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 15:30:15 +1300 Clarke https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356779#post356779 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356779#post356779 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 21:18:55 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356775#post356775 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356775#post356775 So …

Sanho’s interview with Kathryn Ryan was halved for a soft interview on the crowdfunded beach. And tonight, Story dumped Kim Vinnell’s story for the second night running so it could could cover cricket, cats and chillies.

And you wonder why we can’t have nice things?

PS: Maori Television…

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:32:52 +1300 Clarke https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356750#post356750 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356750#post356750 I think the gradual move to legalisation and normalisation is inevitable – but not really for the usual let's-all-be-adults harm reduction reasons.

As the more astute may have noticed, good old globalised mega-capitalism is in a bit of trouble at the moment; the US, Europe, Japan and in fact most…

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:19:08 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356749#post356749 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356749#post356749 The National Drug Policy places a strong emphasis on alcohol and other drugs which is admirable.

And on drugs as a health, rather than criminal issue. And it acknowledges, for the first time, that a key component of the harm associated with illicit drugs lies in the laws against them.…

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:18:31 +1300 Joe Wylie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356747#post356747 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356747#post356747 Much like on Stuff and masthead sites (and elsewhere) – many ignore the article (or maybe just the headline and first para get parsed) and leap straight in to the commentariat flow…

Straight to the vomitorium.

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:07:54 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356740#post356740 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356740#post356740 Sometimes not having a Twitter account brings its own rewards.

The National Drug Policy places a strong emphasis on alcohol and other drugs which is admirable. The Law Commission has also done some excellent work in this area. But these sorts of commonsense reports unfortunately mean little when they're so…

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:13:34 +1300 Ian Dalziel https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356727#post356727 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356727#post356727 I’d like to think some of the people abusing Dunne have bothered to read the National Drug Policy, but I’m not confident that’s the case.
Much like on Stuff and masthead sites (and elsewhere) – many ignore the article (or maybe just the headline and first para get parsed) and…

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 14:48:30 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356716#post356716 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356716#post356716 It does feel like the winds of change are starting to blow when Peter Dunne starts talking about drug abuse as a health problem.

And it's actually been that way for a while, as anyone who has been paying attention knows.

I'm really out of patience with people who fancy…

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:49:13 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356715#post356715 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356715#post356715 Live Q&A with Sanho on Stuff. ]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:38:10 +1300 Alfie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356687#post356687 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356687#post356687 Again, we come back to the concept of harm reduction.

The very terminology which the US has fought to keep out of UN drug policy for years. It does feel like the winds of change are starting to blow when Peter Dunne starts talking about drug abuse as a health problem.…

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 10:54:53 +1300 Campbell Larsen https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356683#post356683 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356683#post356683 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 10:23:27 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356647#post356647 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356647#post356647 One thing that Sanho mentioned to me and then to the crowd at Splore:

An unexpected consequence of marijuana legalisation in the US states has been the discovery that growers have been using inappropriate and dangerous pesticides. Residues simply haven’t been tested for until now.

So users have been inhaling…

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 18:10:28 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356646#post356646 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356646#post356646 It shouldn’t be a UN matter. It’s reasonable for the UN to concern itself with preventing conflict at one end and uncontroversial stuff like standardising plugs at the other.

Why should the despots of Saudi Arabia or Zimbabwe have any say in what New Zealanders put in their bodies?

An…

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 17:58:40 +1300 nzlemming https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356645#post356645 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356645#post356645 Check out that good looking and wise guy at 2.19 and again at 7.13 :)

I did note that, yes. ;-)

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 17:56:29 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356643#post356643 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356643#post356643 Check out that good looking and wise guy at 2.19 and again at 7.13 :)

Ha! I like the cut of his jib.

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 17:46:15 +1300 Ian Dalziel https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356640#post356640 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356640#post356640 Coals to Newcastle...
I suspect it has been very deeply buried along with UNDCP itself.
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html
no office in Australasia though
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/field-offices.html?ref=menutop

Can't find that video – but lotsa other stuff you have probably already seen such as the page for that June 1998 3 day meeting and all the…

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 17:11:25 +1300 Ian Dalziel https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356636#post356636 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356636#post356636 Also, if anyone can find that UNGASS 1998 promo video

this isn't from the UN but references that campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do-RCrOrkpY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZpb8UQxH9I

... as the quest continues, try these little ditties and aother gleanings...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjwshdLWP-k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl5qV9lsDzQ
...though I suspect they may have made people want to take drugs just to avoid…

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 15:51:44 +1300 Rich of Observationz https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356631#post356631 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356631#post356631 It shouldn’t be a UN matter. It’s reasonable for the UN to concern itself with preventing conflict at one end and uncontroversial stuff like standardising plugs at the other.

Why should the despots of Saudi Arabia or Zimbabwe have any say in what New Zealanders put in their bodies?

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 15:21:36 +1300 Ross Bell https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356630#post356630 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356630#post356630 Wed, 24 Feb 2016 15:11:00 +1300 nzlemming https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356627#post356627 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356627#post356627 I had a wee look for you ;-) There's A Drug-free World: Reloaded from the 2009 meeting with a screenshot of the poster at 4:24
https://youtu.be/enjn8EWVxpk (Peter Dunne appears at about 2mins in)
Some interesting stuff at https://www.facebook.com/drugreporter as well

Web Archive is your friend for the UNDCP http://web.archive.org/web/19970216142659/http://undcp.org/ but…

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:57:10 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356623#post356623 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356623#post356623 Now, if people want a smoke they are going to go to town and probably buy some gang supplied skunk weed at 3 times the strength. It is just so counter productive.

Yes. The police spraying programme in recent decades basically drove production indoors and to more organised criminals and…

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:25:37 +1300 Paul Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356621#post356621 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356621#post356621 Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:00:58 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356619#post356619 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356619#post356619 A young man in Kapiti died this week, after taking Alpha-PVP or “bath salts”.

Alpha-PVP is a dangerous drug that gained currency as a way of avoiding progressive bans on other cathinone drugs, so it’s essentially a product of prohibition.

It also doesn’t show up in reagent tests, so it’s…

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 13:11:00 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356614#post356614 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356614#post356614 Also, if anyone can find that UNGASS 1998 promo video – it's described here – I'd be very grateful indeed.

I suspect it has been very deeply buried along with UNDCP itself.

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:44:34 +1300 Public Address https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356613#post356613 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-ungass-and-the-drug-free-world/?p=356613#post356613 Discussion from blog post.

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:44:34 +1300