NZ has a history for world leading law reform: Woman’s Right to Vote; Decriminalisation of Sex Work; National Needle Exchange, Same Sex Marriage and most recently Drug Checking. This Symposium will explore why major drug law reform is needed and what it should look like.

Our understanding of drugs are too often unevolved, prejudicial and misinformed. We struggle to see alcohol, nicotine, sugar and caffeine as drugs while misleadingly regarding all prohibited substances as dangerous. Then we conflate any use of prohibited substance with addiction or problematic use.

Our understanding of drugs are too often unevolved, prejudicial and misinformed. We struggle to see alcohol, nicotine, sugar and caffeine as drugs while misleadingly regarding all prohibited substances as dangerous. Then we conflate any use of prohibited substance with addiction or problematic use.

"The attack thought to be retribution for stealing a large quantity of methamphetamine plus $60,000 cash" Another example of prohibition failure - it fuels crime and violence. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

WHO says daily consumption of raw coca leaves by millions in the Andes carries no significant risks - BUT coca control strategies are associated with “substantial public health harms”. Prohibition is causing far more harm than the drugs they purport to protect us from. filtermag.org/who-review-c...

There's no world drug problem Don't collude with it We have a world drug policy problem: Ideologically driven 'drug' prohibition problem, sustained by propaganda, misinformation, lies & vested interests Expose & challenge it #WeAreAllDrugUsers Full thread here: threadreaderapp.com/thread/96841...

NZ Police celebrating a 'Whack-a-Mole' drug seizure, then proclaim it's a 'multimillion-dollar trade for organised criminal enterprises” with no sense of irony policing & prohibition has turned it into 'a multimillion-dollar trade for organised criminal enterprises'! www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

Truth...

WHO says daily consumption of raw coca leaves by millions in the Andes carries no significant risks - BUT coca control strategies are associated with “substantial public health harms”. Prohibition is causing far more harm than the drugs they purport to protect us from. filtermag.org/who-review-c...

We are receiving important reminders about paracetamol that association is not causation. Could someone also tell the NZ Transport Agency that association is not causation. Drugs like cannabis can be detected days, weeks even months after consumption. Drug presence is not the same as drug impairment

We are receiving important reminders about paracetamol that association is not causation. Could someone also tell the NZ Transport Agency that association is not causation. Drugs like cannabis can be detected days, weeks even months after consumption. Drug presence is not the same as drug impairment

Our recent article exploring the drivers of the overdose crisis and what we should do about it. Nicely featured in a carousel on Instagram by TALKINGDRUGS: www.instagram.com/talking.drug...

Our recent article exploring the drivers of the overdose crisis and what we should do about it. Nicely featured in a carousel on Instagram by TALKINGDRUGS: www.instagram.com/talking.drug...

Kahurangi Carter MP did great work submitting a Good Samaritan Bill for the NZ Parliament 'Biscuit Tin' pot luck We are delighted that it's been chosen for debate by Parliament!! We've waited far too long for a Good Samaritan Law in Aotearoa - this is a great opportunity!

Kahurangi Carter MP did great work submitting a Good Samaritan Bill for the NZ Parliament 'Biscuit Tin' pot luck We are delighted that it's been chosen for debate by Parliament!! We've waited far too long for a Good Samaritan Law in Aotearoa - this is a great opportunity!

Our approach to drugs under prohibition has been informed by propaganda, prejudice and hunch - with devastating consequences:

"The War on Drugs has spawned dangerous environments & adulterated drug markets that significantly increased the risk of overdose – situations that harm reduction strategies try to address. Tthe overdose crisis is a drug policy crisis – not a drug use crisis" www.talkingdrugs.org/the-overdose...

"The War on Drugs has spawned dangerous environments & adulterated drug markets that significantly increased the risk of overdose – situations that harm reduction strategies try to address. Tthe overdose crisis is a drug policy crisis – not a drug use crisis" www.talkingdrugs.org/the-overdose...

We need a hard reset.

Feed: "Filter" By: Julian Buchanan & Brandon Hutchison on Friday, August 29, 2025

My latest article co-authored with @hrca.bsky.social colleagues for International Overdose Awareness Day #IOAD2025 explaining why referring to overdose as a drug related death is misleading - most of these deaths are prohibition related deaths! filtermag.org/overdose-pro...

"[G]iven the severe, artificial and needless inflation of risks around prohibited drugs, we would argue that referring to overdose fatalities as 'drug-related deaths' deflects from the truth." "These deaths [..] are better described as 'prohibition-related deaths.'" #USA #Policing #Drugs

HRCA wants to see ALL drugs properly and responsibly regulated -and that includes alcohol. Alcohol lobbyists worryingly had access to the Ministry of Health and pushed health officials not to raise taxes, curb supply or cut industry sponsorship of sport. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

HRCA Secretary: “These risky situations that fuel overdose are created not by the drugs, but by our punitive drugs policies. If alcohol was prohibited, similar issues would be faced and we’d witness a significant increase of fatal alcohol overdose.” Press Release www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK25...

HRCA Secretary: “These risky situations that fuel overdose are created not by the drugs, but by our punitive drugs policies. If alcohol was prohibited, similar issues would be faced and we’d witness a significant increase of fatal alcohol overdose.” Press Release www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK25...

The White House is promoting "Make America Fentanyl Free," a new ad campaign featuring little information but a lot of zombie makeup.

Prohibition has not reduced the demand for 'drugs', nor the supply. All it's done is make drugs unsafe. Sadly, prohibition has significantly increased the risk of overdose. #IOAD2025 It's time we scrap these damaging ideologically driven drug policies and adopt an evidence based drug policies.

Prohibition has not reduced the demand for 'drugs', nor the supply. All it's done is make drugs unsafe. Sadly, prohibition has significantly increased the risk of overdose. #IOAD2025 It's time we scrap these damaging ideologically driven drug policies and adopt an evidence based drug policies.

Have we become immune to the hypocrisy and contradiction? It's crazy.

Truth!

Imagine if alcohol was prohibited. In the lead up to International Overdose Awareness Day HRCA want to highlight the role of prohibition in increasing the risk of overdose. Prohibition is a major problem.

Imagine if alcohol was prohibited. In the lead up to International Overdose Awareness Day HRCA want to highlight the role of prohibition in increasing the risk of overdose. Prohibition is a major problem.

Truth!

Burying our heads in the sand is no answer to drug use. Legal Regulation isn't introducing drugs to the community. They are already here! Legal Regulation introduces safety measures that aren't already there under prohibition.

Could you support the work of HRCA? We are entirely voluntary, completely independent, we have no funding, no one gets paid a penny - we rely exclusively on membership fees/donations. Individual membership is just NZ$10 a year or NZ$2 a year for the unwaged. Thx! hrca.nz/join

HRCA wants to see ALL drugs properly and responsibly regulated -and that includes alcohol. Alcohol lobbyists worryingly had access to the Ministry of Health and pushed health officials not to raise taxes, curb supply or cut industry sponsorship of sport. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

How can this make any sense? Are we trapped in an episode of the Twilight Zone or Life on Mars? Is this just a far fetched joke? No. Across the world police invest massive resources to seize 'drugs' often less harmful than the ones they use!

Harm Reduction Makes Sense!

Insanity?

Exactly our point, as a conscious choice prohibition is lunacy, - it's insanity, it's irresponsible, it's crazy, - because it causes massive harm, costs an absolute fortune & completely fails to achieve it's purported objectives. But hey guys we are on the same team 🤗

We all use drugs - but often we fail to recognise so many substances are actually psychoactive drugs - especially the elephant in the room. We are all drug users.

Bodily autonomy - a fundamental Human Right.

HRCA is completely independent; run by volunteers; has no staff; no office; receives no funding; & relies on nominal membership fees & donations to fund our activism. Membership: Individuals $10 waged; $2 unwaged Organisations: $100 Do support us if you can💚 hrca.nz/join HRCA's Seven Objectives:

Harm Reduction Makes Sense!

NZ plans to reduce off-licence sale hours were scrapped. The govt focusing instead on easing the regulatory burden on the alcohol industry HRCA wants to see the sale of all drugs managed through strict & responsible regulation Alcohol is poorly regulated. Do better www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...